Zambia Correctional Service to Grow Maize

The Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) which provides education and training to prison inmates during their incarceration has committed to producing 45,000 50kg bags of maize.

The service provides inmates with primary, secondary and tertiary education, and an After Care Service to ex-offenders.

On 14th May, Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister, Jack Mwiimbu announced the plan to grow enough maize to contribute to food security whilst touring the Nansanga Correctional Farm in Serenje District of Central Province.

He emphasised the government’s commitment to increasing maize production saying, “at Nansanga Farm, we have managed to put a delegation, 700 hectares of land that we are going to utilise for the production of early maize and winter maize. The harvest we are going to achieve at this particular farm, will be 45,000 bags of maize. This is for early maize. We are going to produce a further similar amount of winter maize.”

The levels of maize production have fallen due to the negative effects of the drought since the 2022 to 2023 harvest when 3.3 million tonnes of maize were produced. In March, the Minister for Information and Media, Cornelius Mweetwa announced that the Ministry of Agriculture estimated the 2023 to 2024 harvest to yield 1.7 million tonnes of maize.

ZCS’s contribution to maize production in Zambia will make a real difference for the country’s food security.