'Recipe exchange' amongst neighbours near Mazarrón

I participated recently in a 'recipe exchange' amongst friends and acquaintances near where I have my Spanish home and wish to share both my own recipes and those shared by others. I will probably add additional recipes in due course. The recipes are eclectic and not specifically Spanish. If you are looking for a meal idea, why not try out one of the receipes currently available by taking a look. You can see the recipes in my Spanish website (general link in right column), or through the Links page, or by visiting the Recipes page direct.

Mazarron police crackdown on illegal taxis

Local police in Mazarron have charged eight people, amongst whom are persons of British and Moroccan nationality, for operating illegal taxi services on behalf of persons of the same nationality, or in some cases those of different nationalities.

Routes mentioned in the report include the transport of people to/from Alicante Airport for a price of 80 Euros, also routes within the municipality or between Mazarron and Puerto de Mazarron, for which the prices were said to be 8 to 10 Euros for longer trips and 4 to 5 Euros between the two major parts of the municipality.

Undercover agents were used to entrap the illegal operators as well as unmarked cars to track their movements.

One foreign registered vehicle incurred a fine of 1,501 Euros for its release, whilst the other 7 vehicles, all with Spanish number plates, incurred fines of 450 Euros.

Please bear this in mind should you be considering hiring an illegal taxi operator for your evening excursions into Mazarron/Puerto or to/from Alicante airport.

Frost badly affecting agriculture in Murcia Region

Agricultural output in the countryside around Lorca, Cartagena, Águilas, Almería (Pulpí) and Mazarrón is being badly affected by cold and frost:

The problem has been growing for the past week and is likely to continue for some time. The Murcia Region is the major producing area for vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and artichokes; of the 584,018 tons of various kinds of lettuce exported in 2010, 432,462 tons came from Murcia Region. By far the largest markets in 2010 were Germany and the UK, which imported 386,635 tons and 177,458 tons of lettuce respectively. The 55 groups of companies in the region which together form Proexport ("The Association of Producers-Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables in the Region of Murcia") employ over 25,000 directly and are resonsible for in excess of 70 per cent of production and export of these categories of products, so the recent weather may have a serious knock-on effect on the economy in weeks and months to come.

Iberdrola and ICP switches

According to an article in a blog I read (a British electrician based in the Costa Blanca), Iberdrola are starting to penalise electricity consumers if they do not have an ICP switch installed in their electrical circuit; presumably this is relevant only for consumers who have been Iberdrola customers for some years and began subscribing before an ICP switch became a legal requirement, but if this affects you and you notice an unusual addition to your Iberdrola invoices, this may be the reason. Please read more at Sparks in Spain here.

Mazarrón-based agricultural company Agroceralfer files for bankruptcy

The petition for bankruptcy filed by the Mazarrón-based grain-sales company Agroceralfer has been accepted by the Commercial Court in Totana. The company has been in difficulties since 2009 when its turnover fell below the €24 millions achieved the previous year. The owners will retain their management roles in the company, but will be under the supervision of the court-appointed administrator, economist Juan Francisco Blázquez. Creditors have 15 days to register their outstanding claims against the company.

5.4 million estimated unemployed at end 2011 in Spain

(Please see UPDATES at end)

The Minister of Finance and Public Administration, Cristóbal Montoro, has announced that the number of unemployed in Spain is estimated to have reached 5.4 (*) millions by the end of 2011, or about 24 per cent, by far the highest percentage in the EU. This is an increase of 700,000 from the 4.7 millions who were unemployed at the end of 2010. The National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadística -INE) is expected to release the full figures tomorrow Friday.

Exceedingly worrying from many points of view:
- the under-utilisation of so much talent;
- the cost to the economy of paying unemployment to such a high proportion of citizens;
- the social dislocation which has already occurred and may well continue.
(No doubt readers can think of others.)

UPDATE (Friday 27JAN2012 12.30 GMT)(*) The INE have now published employment statistics for 2011 and say total unemployment was 5,273,000 at year-end, with the number of households with no person in employment reaching 1,575,000 which was up 149,800 on the previous quarter. Conversely, households with all persons in active employment fell by 212,300 to 8,846,100. The region with the highest level of unemployment was Andalucia with circa. 1.2 millions (31.23 per cent), followed by the Canaries (341,900 - 30.93 per cent). The linked article has more statistics for those who are interested, although it does not show the figures for Murcia Region - I hope to source these in due course.

2nd UPDATE (Friday 27JAN2012 18.40 GMT) Unemployment in Murcia Region rose by 12,400 to 199,100, or 26.77 per cent. Although the unemployment rate in Murcia Region is higher than the national average, a small crumb of comfort is that it grew during 2011 at only about half the rate (6.66 per cent) than nationally (12.3 per cent), and indeed the growth in unemployment was the second-lowest in comparison with other regions across the country.

Large hashish bust off Puerto de Mazarrón

(Please see UPDATE at end)

The Guardia Civil have seized a large quantity of hashish aboard a speedboat off the coast near Puerto de Mazarrón, crewed by two young men. 80(*) bales of hashish were found and although the weight has not been fully established yet, it is thought it could far exceed 2,000(*) kilos. The two young men are being held by the Guardia Civil in their Puerto de Mazarrón station, preparatory to being brought before the court in Totana; their identities have not been revealed. It is not yet established whether the consignment was brought direct from North Africa, probably Morocco, or whether it was transferred from a larger vessel offshore to the speedboat.

UPDATE (Friday 27JAN2012 08.10 GMT)
(*) - A later report has amended these details to "18 bales" and the total weight of hashish at 2,628 kilos. The two accused are of Spanish origin, residents of Almería and aged 39 (M.C.C.) and 38 (F.M.C.) years respectively; one is reported to have previous convictions for similar offences.

Corvera Airport - new video of almost completed facility

La Verdad newspaper has published a short video-clip in its online version showing the almost-completed new international airport at Murcia-Corvera:

- the article in La Verdad can be found here. According to this and other articles I have read today, Iberdrola have now completed electrical installations at the new facility. According to local sources (Regional Government and the airport developer) all that remains is now up to the central government and the finalisation of the agreement necessary for the running of the airport between Aeromur (the delevoper) and AENA (the national body which will manage it). It is hoped that testing will begin during the first quarter of 2012. The developers are adamant that the recent closures of two other new privately-developed airports at Ciudad Real and Castellón will not affect the viability of Murcia-Corvera and one must hope they are correct and that earlier hopes of commencing commercial flights before the end of 2012 will be fulfilled.

Feliz Navidad 2011 y Prospero Año 2012

My best wishes for a Joyous Christmas and for a Peaceful, Happy and Prosperous New Year 2012

Road-widening land expropriations Mazarrón to el Puerto in 2012 budget

The Murcia Region government has announced its draft budget for 2012 and amongst many other planned initiatives (for example relating to Lorca in the wake of last year's earthquake and the commissioning of the new Murcia International Airport at Corvera) it is mentioned that within the planned expenditure of about €73mio on road infrastructure is included the first stage of land expropriations which will be required to widen the highway between Mazarrón and Puerto de Mazarrón, which it is planned to transform into a dual-carriageway; there is no indication yet (that I can see) of the precise extent of land expropriations required nor of the exact route, which one imagines will probably follow for at least a part of its distance the existing single-carriageway highway.

Sources:
- Obras Públicas centra su inversión en conservar red de carreteras regionales y destina 17 millones a Lorca;
- Lorca recibirá 17 millones extra para obras públicas;
- Cruz impulsará la promoción para atraer al doble de extranjeros;
- La Comunidad licitará cinco puertos deportivos en 2012.