Catalan dried fruit and nuts maintain their share in market
Predictions point to harvest increases, especially in hazelnut crops, a sector looking to profit from its high-quality products.
Predictions point to harvest increases, especially in hazelnut crops, a sector looking to profit from its high-quality products.
Catalonia and Andorra are working together to develop juridical framework for attending to patients in both territories. The agreement would allow the sharing of patient records and information so that Catalans and Andorrans may seek out medical services more easily when being in the other side of the border.
Celestino Corbacho would go on the Catalan Socialist Party list headed by the current Catalan President, José Montilla. Opposition parties underline that Corbacho has been the Minister for Employment with the worst results in decades.
The automotive company SAS has just announced the closure of its factory in Martorell. The closure will result in 124 employees out of work. SAS made the decision to close its factory after loosing its contract with its cockpit supplier.
Studies show that mushroom production in the Catalan woods will be at great levels this season, between 55 and 70 kilos per hectare, way above average. Year after year, the end of summer heat is associated with the start of mushroom season, which will very likely be splendid, according to Catalonia’s Forest Technological Centre, thanks to the copious amount of rainfall throughout the year.
Josep Huguet, the Catalan Minister for Innovation, Universities, and Businesses, said that the Catalan Government is preparing a decree-law that obligates university professors to prove their level of Catalan. Huguet argues that this is a measure of “equilibrium”, to ensure Catalan is used in the university.
Today was the last day for the Catalan President to dissolve the Parliament and announce if the Election Day would be in October. He has not done so and therefore the most likely election date will be the 28th of November. The last legal possibility would be the 16th of December.
The sector has widened its offers, projecting itself both nationally and internationally in recent years. Only 15% of the cheese produced in Catalonia is consumed by Catalans. The sector produces 10,000 tons of cheese a year and has grown in recent years both in quality and international recognition.
The future is here. Digitalisation in school classrooms is now a reality. This summer, a large step has been taken in order to provide Catalan high-school students with laptops and digital books. Catalan Minister for Education Ernest Maragall says it is “an extraordinary step in changing our educational system”.
Catalan wine cellars sell their products abroad in order to compensate the large difficulties they find in Catalonia. However, it is not always easy for small wine producers to make their way onto the big market. So how can they do it?
Construction companies have agreed to receive loans for some 3,000 million euros to develop what the Catalan Government considers “strategic” infrastructures. The Catalan Minister for Public Works, Joaquim Nadal, announced this agreement this morning and listed some of these works.
Catalan chef Ferran Adrià is stepping out of the kitchen to lend a helping hand to tourism. He has proposed a new touristic project for the Costa Brava town of Roses, where his world-famous restaurant El Bulli is located. The project includes a natural and gastronomic route through the village.
The Catalan Minister for Innovation, Universities and Businesses, Josep Huguet, has called out to tourist agencies, asking them to develop more creative touristic offers. His plea comes at a time when the tourist industry is rising. The month of August shows a 90% occupancy of the hotels along the Catalan coast.
Wine culture has taken roots in Catalonia. The Harvest Celebration and the Wine Museum of l'Espluga de Francolí (in Tarragona, south of Catalonia) are just 2 examples of this phenomenon.
The county of Garraf, 20 minutes South from Barcelona, has recently begun a new programme for tourists of the area, a route that combines elements of landscape, culture, and gastronomy. The itinerary includes panoramic views of the Garraf Natural Park and wine tasting, among other activities.