No corkage in Ronda

RONDA in the province of Malaga on the Costa del Sol has been forced to put a stop to corkage due to the drought conditions.

The drought has been felt in the public forests of Ronda in an area of Serrania, even though it usually gets more rain than the rest of the season. This year has been an exception.

As a result, the town council has taken the measure of prohibiting the collection of cork used by cork men in a tradition that goes back to ancient times.

The measure is taken as a form of protection for cork oaks, since the lack of moisture this year could cause damage to the trees if they are peeled for cork.

The municipal delegate of the Ronda mountains, Jesus Vazquez said: “At the moment there is only a small plot where corking cannot take place. There are other plots that have adequate conditions, although as the uncorking date approaches inspections will be carried out to verify that the cork can be removed without damage to the trees.

Production will be lower this year, but a rise in prices ought to offset the income which is one of the most important in the towns of the Tagus.

Betty Henderson

IN final figures, authorities say that this year’s Feria de Sevilla (April Fair in Sevilla) brought in a whopping €930 million.

The event, which came to an end on Friday, April 28 was a major success, breaking records in terms of attendance, spending, transport, horse­drawn carriage rides, and hotel occupancy.

This year’s festival saw an increase in public transportation usage, with over 1.1 million people using the public transport system. Horsedrawn carriages, which are a staple of the festival, also saw a 6 per cent increase in use.

John Ensor