The pilot technology demonstration farms developed by inmates at the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Palawan will be ready for harvest next month, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
The DA said since July, at least 70 persons deprived of liberty were trained in the production of high-value crops and rice under the Reformation Initiative for Sustainable Environment for Food Security project with the Department of Justice.
The DA said the 4.5-hectare demo farm in Iwahig is expected to yield 96.8 metric tons of rice, watermelon, melon, eggplant, tomatoes, red chili pepper, pole sitao, cucumber, okra, squash, patola, ampalaya and sweet corn with an estimated gross income of P7.3 million.
DA said proceeds will be used by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to expand its agricultural development activities by using idle lands to support government’s food security campaign.
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority earlier said it is eyeing the conversion of IPPF into its first vertically-integrated mega ecozone that would accommodate big-ticket projects.
The is in talks with the BuCor for the use of the 26,000-hectare property housing the prison facility as a public ecozone that would be self-sustaining in terms of power, water and ports. – Jed Macapagal
