Corkage stopped in Ronda due to drought

Ronda 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 region. 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.

He went on to say: “They (the trees) don’t scream but they do complain, you just have to see the wounds that come out when they receive a ‘bad cut’.”

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.

Meanwhile, researchers from La Rioja are carrying out tests with wood from gall oak to see if it is a viable wood with which to make barrels and so far the tests have proved to be positive which will be good news for Ronda barrel makers.