Early start to olive harvesting

A hotter than normal summer has caused the olives trees across the province to ripen early, forcing local farmers and families to start the harvest sooner than expected. However, the drought means that the average yield per tree is expected to drop this year. Around 1.500 people are employed during the olive harvest, mainly by larger companies that produce olive oil for the domestic and international harvest. But just as important are the small family Continue reading Early start to olive harvesting

Diesel for under €1 a litre!

Diesel dropped to under €1 a litre at over 100 petrol stations across Spain yesterday, and in the province two stations are selling it for €0,99 a litre: one in Vícar and another in El Ejido. Prices have dropped to those of five years ago, as the drop in crude oil finally starts to filter through to the consumer. Most of the cheapest petrol stations are in Catalunya. Check out the cheapest stations near you Continue reading Diesel for under €1 a litre!

3 arrested for stealing used cooking oil

You’ve seen the fancy new used cooking oil recycle bins scattered around the place? Well, an ex-employee of the firm which runs them kept a copy of the keys when he was fired, and has been busy going round at night pinching the oil with two of his mates. The three would turn up in their van once a week, empty the contents of the bins into large plastic containers and take them up to Continue reading 3 arrested for stealing used cooking oil

No more olive oil decanters in bars… ever

As I promised would happen, olive oil decanters have been banned in bars, starting the 1st of January 2014. The measure, which was going to be EU wide until it was laughed out of the commission by the UK and Holland. So Spain has gone ahead and imposed the measure. Only olive oil bottles with “anti-refillable” tops can be used, or monodosis capsules. Lovely. If you can prove you bought the stuff before the 1st of Continue reading No more olive oil decanters in bars… ever

Cantabria announces ban on fracking as ecologists triumph

Spain is set to enact its first regional ban on producing natural gas using hydraulic fracturing, yielding to objections from environmental groups that so-called fracking risks polluting drinking water. In the northern Cantabria region, where energy companies say much of Spain’s gas exists in shale rock, the Parliament plans to vote April 8 on suspending the contested drilling technique “as long as current doubts on the technology remain,” according to the bill on the government’s Continue reading Cantabria announces ban on fracking as ecologists triumph