The Lepoglava Penitentiary won a gold diploma for its acacia honey and a silver diploma for chestnut honey at the 16th Organoleptic Evaluation of Honey with International Participation in Vukovar
236 beekeepers from Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia participated in the competition.
This success is the result of many years of dedicated work, as the Penitentiary has been engaged in apiculture development for 15 years, when it started with only a few beehives, and today it counts over 100 of them.
For the last 10 years, the penitentiary has been implementing a continuous beekeeping training programme for prisoners, and over 30 prisoners have completed it so far. This aspect plays a key role in the resocialization of prisoners, preparing them for the return to society and the possibility of employment.
Honey is produced primarily for consumption by prisoners, while a smaller portion is marketed. Between 1.5 and 3 tons of honey are produced annually, and in ideal weather conditions more than 4 tons could be produced.
Honey from the Lepoglava Penitentiary has won silver and gold diplomas at several international evaluations so far, and the recent diplomas from Vukovar represent a continuation of excellent results achieved for the processes involving prisoners. In addition to improving their skills, this program enables prisoners to start their own careers in apiculture upon release.
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