Lemons and tangerines are grown in the women’s colony of Petropavlovsk, Sputnik Kazakhstan correspondent reports.
As the press service of the department of the penitentiary system in the North Kazakhstan region said, the greenhouse has been operating on the territory of the institution EU-164/6 (women’s colony) since April 2018. In the greenhouse, convicts grow even such exotic plants as grapes, lemons, tangerines.
“The grape tree was grown in a unique way – from a grape seed. It was planted in November 2021, just for an experiment, not really hoping for success. The grapes did not sprout for a long time, but in the end they did. At first it was in a box, like seedlings , then I transplanted it to the end of the greenhouse, where there is a lot of sun, where it is warm. The temperature is good, comfortable for the vine. This is my first experience, “said Olesya Rusak, convicted of the institution EU-164/6.
She notes that grapes and citrus fruits (lemon, tangerine) sprout and grow well in their greenhouse.
“Both lemon and tangerines are grown from the seed. Lemon is already like a tree. And tangerines grow very slowly,” says the convict.
In addition to exotics, traditional tomatoes, cucumbers and “traffic lights” peppers grow in the greenhouse. About 180-200 kg of cucumbers are grown here per week, which enrich the diet of convicts with vitamins and minerals.
And pepper in the greenhouse gives up to three crops, it blooms and bears fruit until September-October. Moreover, the weight of pepper reaches 450-500 grams.
“And I generally grew a sunflower from a feed grain mixture for rabbits. I didn’t even hope that there would be a result, but it came up. I really love plants and animals, the forest, nature. Before I was convicted, I had a lot of indoor flowers at home “I really like to mess with the earth. The earth loves hands. If we treat plants without a soul, there will be no harvest and the result that we want. We need to take care of them, talk to them,” notes Olesya Rusak.
More than 200 convicts are serving sentences in the women’s colony. Many of them throughout their term work, pay claims, help their families. To date, about 98% of convicts from among able-bodied have been employed.
“Three individual entrepreneurs, as well as a branch of the Enbek-Kyzylzhar Republican State Enterprise, have located their production on the territory of the institution. Basically, entrepreneurs are engaged in tailoring overalls, making bath products (washcloths), balaclavas and raincoats, as well as soft toys. In the sewing workshop of the RSE branch” Enbek-Kyzylzhar “sew bedding and things for the convicts,” – said the chief specialist of the group for organizing the work of convicts of the penitentiary institution for the North Kazakhstan region, Major of Justice Maya Ramazanova.
The remuneration of convicts is established depending on the volume of production. Wages are calculated on the output and skills of each convict. At the same time, the salary of convicts is at least 60 thousand tenge (the minimum wage and reaches up to 75 thousand tenge per month.
