THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Central Prison is on the way towards another initiative. It is planning to give more attention to anthurium and mushroom cultivation; and cauliflower and cabbage will be the newcomers on the prison premises.
The cultivation of anthurium and mushroom, though started earlier, could not get the attention it needed. “We are planning to start it again to get maximum yield as in the case of other items,” said B Pradeep, Superintendent of Central Prison.
Along with that, the prison will start cultivation of cauliflower and cabbage. The prison has a plethora of vegetables being cultivated on around 20 acres, among which plantain cultivation is given most prominence. It was one week back that corn cultivation was started on the premises.
“Tapioca is also being cultivated. Last time, there was a yield of 750 kg. Ginger had a yield of 1,000 kg,” said G Chandrababu, who supervises the cultivation.
It was four days back that amarnthus was harvested, which was cultivated on 6 cents. African Mushi fish, which was cultivated in two large ponds inside the prison compound, was harvested one month back. There were 150 fish, with an average weight of two-and-a-half kg, in one harvest. It cost only ` 1,000 for the cultivation of the fish. But the market value of the 150 fish was ` 16,000.
The authorities are now waiting for the harvest of 7,500 plantain saplings. “We have decided to give more focus to vegetable cultivation,” said Pradeep.