ST JOHN’S, Antigua – National Security Minister Dr Errol Cort is boasting that the prison is well on the way to becoming self-sufficient as it has begun reaping crops planted at a small farm at the Botanical Gardens.

Additionally, the authorities are awaiting the installation of water at Duers Estate where a larger prison farm is to be developed.

“The prison farm project is well advanced and it is under the watchful eye of Mr John McKinnon who is the person in the ministry of National Security in charge of our project implementation. They have ploughed up the area and have started to plant and things are moving along nicely,” the minister said.

Dr Cort said he is pleased with the development and is looking forward to the time when prisoners would also plant and reap at the larger farm because the project could go a long way in not only feeding the prisoners but also help raise funds for the expansion of the penal institution.

“The idea is to be able to provide food for Her Majesty’s Prison and maybe if possible to sell some of the food so we could raise funds to assist with the rehabilitation programme at the prison,” Dr Cort said.

Efforts to develop the farm began in 2010 and the project has been receiving support from the Ministry of Agriculture.

(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)