Asaja Córdoba stressed this Thursday that the cork harvesting campaign "is developing favorably, in terms of extraction, since the cork is detaching easily from the tree, facilitating the work of the crews and avoiding damage to the cork oak groves," although it has emphasized that "the sector remains concerned about the evolution of prices and the consequences of several consecutive years of drought."
According to the agrarian organization in a note, "cork prices are currently between 60 and 80 euros per quintal, registering a significant decrease compared to previous campaigns." This downward correction "responds, in part, to lower demand from the wine sector, where the use of both natural cork stoppers and agglomerated stoppers continues to decline in favor of other closure systems."
At the same time, it recalled that "although the rains recorded this year have improved the water situation of the farms, the accumulated effects of the previous four or five years of drought are noticeable in the cork that was due to be extracted this campaign."
As a result, Asaja explains that "in numerous estates, thinner than usual cork is being found, with calibers lower than desired, having formed during a period of strong water stress."
This reality "has led many owners to delay the planned extraction for this year, extending the usual cork stripping cycle from nine to ten years, with the aim of the cork gaining thickness and quality," so that "the decision to postpone extraction in numerous farms is also influencing the current market situation."
In the province of Córdoba, the average annual production "is around 2,700 tons, from farms distributed throughout the Sierra Morena cordobesa." This activity "generates around 1,400 direct daily wages in the field, constituting a fundamental source of employment and wealth for many rural areas of the province."
The agrarian employers' association has insisted that cork "is a natural product of great environmental and economic value, with Andalusia being the main producing community in Spain. In particular, cork from Sierra Morena stands out for its quality and for the important role it plays in the conservation of dehesas and Mediterranean forests."
The cork harvesting campaign is traditionally carried out between June and August, although Asaja Córdoba maintains its demand for "advancing the open season for cork extraction", a "historic demand of the sector", considering it "necessary to adapt the calendar to new climatic conditions, to take advantage of the most favorable moments for cork harvesting, as already happens in other autonomous communities, such as Extremadura".
This request is made "to be able to separate the cork from the cork oak without damaging the tree, since at the end of July it is impossible to do so, because it sticks due to the effect of heat, so it is useless for August to also be an open season for extraction".
In this regard, the organization points out that, "to carry out this process, the cork must have completed a growth cycle of between nine and ten years, which allows it to reach the appropriate thickness for its commercialization".
The cork harvesting process begins with the so-called "splitting" of the cork, "taking advantage of the natural lines of opening existing in the tree, to subsequently separate the cork panels from the trunk manually, using specialized techniques that guarantee the protection of the cork oak".