Amanfrom prisons camp makes strides towards food security

The Amanfrom Prisons Camp of the Ghana Prisons Service in the Bantama constituency of Kumasi is making tremendous strides in the field of agriculture.

It is among individuals and organisations across the agricultural value chain in the Kumasi Metropolis who had contributed towards enhancing food security and observing good agro practices in farming.

The camp, established in 1991, currently boasts of 40 acres of oil palm plantation, 19 acres of maize, rice,  tubers, piggery (300 pigs), livestock ( 50 sheep), 150 rabbits and vegetables including cabbage, lettuce, spring onion and garden eggs.

The Prison camp has also collaborated with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) to establish a nursery for water yam to distribute seedlings free of charge to local farmers as their social responsibility to promote and encourage the public to engage in water yam cultivation.

The venture, which has helped to cut the cost of feeding of the inmates drastically, has also helped to equip the inmates with employable skills after their prison terms.

The Mayor of Kumasi, Mr. OseiAssibeyAntwi who visited the Amanfrom Prison Camp farms last week Wednesday commended the officer in charge, Assistant Director of Prisons, Francis YelpuoMwintumah, the officers and inmates for their contribution to food security.

The Metropolitan Chief Executive lauded the Ghana Prisons service for their dedicated services to the nation in the area of agriculture and food production and entreated the Ghana Prison Service to also encourage commercial farming to promote agribusiness to enhance their livelihood while moving away from the subsistence farming.

The KMA boss recommended a collaboration of the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KMA) to research into venturing into large scale farming by the Amanfrom Prisons Camp.

The mayor urged the inmates to avail themselves to the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme to help increase the country’s food stock substantially in order to reduce food importation.

OseiAssibeyAntwi assured that the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly would continue to support the Camp in its endeavours in the agricultural field.

The KMA, he said, has already donated a tricycle to the Camp and considering rehabilitating an uncompleted structure at the Camp to serve as a training centre in agriculture at the Camp.

The Amanfrom Prisons Camp was adjudged the Overall Best Farmer out of 19 other farmers at the 2019 Kumasi Metro Farmers’ Day celebration held at Amanfrom in the Bantama constituency.

It received 30 cutlasses,weedicides, five pairs of Wellington boots, a box of key soap, a bicycle, 40- inch television set, a Knapsack sprayer and a certificate as a prize.

It had cultivated a total of 24 acres of maize, 40 acres of oil palm and two acres of vegetables among others.

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