Madeira News Blog

(6th September). Today’s main news headline : ‘Cattle In Extinction – Of the number of cows that existed on Madeira 20 years ago, only 20% remain’. The article refers to cattle of regional origin, and in 2007 the livestock count was just 2,500. The regional livestock sector is in danger of disappearing due to declining interest in raising livestock, and the new rules imposed by the government and the European Union. Today we can even say that the regional cattle stock moves towards extinction. Proof of this is the drastic reduction of livestock that occurred in the last two decades, which has further worsened in recent years. In 1986 Madeira had over 11,500 cattle, and that has reduced by around 80% since then. According to a managing partner of the largest importer of live cattle in the region, the reduction is mainly linked to the "lack of interest among farmers" and "lack of information" and "bureaucracy surrounding the raising of animals." A situation he stresses that "is getting worse, and the way this is going, in 10 years there will be no cows left. Less significant, but no less disturbing was the reduction in the import of animals for fattening and slaughter. In this particular case, says Manuel Gaston, "there was a drop between 30 to 35% compared to two years ago". The reasons are mostly related to the national and international crisis. "This is more about the economic situation. The civil construction has slowed, there is less work, wages are low and, obviously people opt for other meats like chicken and pork, which have been very cheap", he said. The situation does not just affect cattle, with livestock declining also for pigs, down from 26,500 in 1986 to 13,300 now. The number of sheep has also reduced in that period from 12,996, to 2,699 at the end of 2007, but that statistic is closely linked to the decision by the regional government to remove sheep from the mountains and countryside, which led to many farmers abandoning this activity.

‘More Support – The crisis obliges the Social Security to expand its budgets for the institutes of solidarity’. The Social Security Centre Madeira (CSSM) gave €6.1 million to Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (IPSS) and other non-profit institutions of social support during the first half of 2009. Compared to the same period last year that was €300,000 more, with the number of support organisations increasing from 57 to 58. The biggest beneficiary was the Centro Social e Paroquial de São Bento, which received over €947,000, followed by the Centro Social Paroquial de Santo António with nearly €700,000, the Santa Casa da Misericórdia da Calheta with €512,000, and the Centro Social e Paroquial da Santíssima Trindade da Tabua with €437,000. The president of the Board of CSSM, Bernadette Vieira, said that this increase is a reflection "of investments that have been made in the areas that benefit senior citizens and children", and  stresses, that needs tends to increase, not only due to the emergence of new institutions of support and social solidarity, but also due to some serious social problems arising from the economic crisis.

Most of today’s front page is taken up with a photo of Cristiano Ronaldo with that agonising look he specialises in when he misses a scoring chance : ‘The Cursed Lack Of Aim – Liedson makes his debut with a goal but Portugal didn’t go beyond the draw (1 – 1) in Denmark. Faced with the triumph of Sweden in Hungary, our team fell to 4th place in the group and now has to rely on the others to enable it’s arrival at the World Cup’. It was just one of those games, when Denmark had just one shot on goal and scored, and Portugal had 15 at the last count and scored once. The referee was taking a bit of stick on the TV news this morning too, for not giving a pretty obvious penalty. With 3 games left against Hungary (x 2) and Malta, Portugal now need Sweden to slip up to have any hope of a play-off position.

‘Paul Loses Fishermen – The land of ‘sea captains’ awaits the construction of a fish market and for a civic centre’. Another headline : "Some Work The Land, Others Work The Sea" – Paul do Mar marked by emigration’. With 20 years Carlos Ferreira swapped Paul do Mar for Panama four years ago. Since then he has travelled around several Latin American countries on board tuna fishing vessels. The story of Carlos is no different from most of the inhabitants of Paul do Mar, a neighbourhood marked by emigration where "some work the land, others work the sea", explains Maria Fernandes, who at 64 years has also been an emigrant in South Africa. Australia, Panama, Samoa, Venezuela and England are other destinations for ‘pauleiros’. It is in the sea that the majority seek a living and better conditions in life. "It is very worthwhile," says Carlos Ferreira, who has no regrets having spent so much of his life at sea. "You earn a lot of money," he stresses. But in this "corner of heaven" not everything runs to form. There is still much to be done. The population welcomes the progress in the work on the Civic Centre, but complains about the lack of employment, and the health centre, for failing to offer a permanent service. It looks like the Diário series ‘Through Madeira’ is back. Marked by emigration it may be, but also marked by strewn concrete blocks like much of our coastline I see from the photo.

UPDATES :

‘Five Thousand In Grape Harvest Festival’. An estimated 5,000 people, including many tourists, went to Estreito de Câmara de Lobos yesterday morning to see the 32nd Festa das Vindimas. The Diário observed that the festival goers snubbed the risks of Gripe A swine flu, passing around drinking classes from person to person, a high-risk behaviour. One visitor was dazzled by the party and with the island, saying "It’s very beautiful. I’m really enjoying it. Madeira is beautiful". Herminia Lopez, a Luso-Venezuelan visiting Madeira for the first time praised the festival, "I loved it. It is very interesting". The regional secretary for tourism said that the wine festivals are well consolidated as tourism events, a fact proved by the 75% hotel occupancy, but she still aiming to improve on that. Grape production this year is expected to fall short of that achieved last year, and the harvest is also delayed as a result of weather conditions.
The photo is from Estreito de Câmara de Lobos yesterday.

‘Families should make contingency plans – The Director-General of Health states that each one must have their own procedures’. "We are informing all the Portuguese that the principal contingency plans are those of families", he said, referring of course to Gripe A swine flu. He also said that the obese, asthmatics, diabetics and those who have chronic problems, should consult their doctors beforehand to prepare protocols and procedures, to work to in the event of contracting Gripe A. "We are not at great risk, but it may be in the Autumn or Winter that this will happen" he added, stressing that at that time, "everyone should know what to do". The President of the Board of Health and Social Affairs, Maurício Melim, also present at the awareness initiative, said that the regional authorities will continue to invest in a plan of prevention, with particular attention for children, pregnant women, and the chronically ill.

‘Dog Show With More Breeds – The Lido Gardens filled yesterday afternoon and the appeal of the organisation was heard’. 65 dogs were entered and judged in several categories. The organiser took the opportunity to appeal to people not to abandon dogs, and to ensure that they were sterilised. There is a slideshow HERE with more photographs.

The International Wine Challenge (IWC) in London came to distinguish one wine made in Madeira as being the best in its category. The award for the best dessert(?) wine in the world was given to Verdelho 10 Old Reserve produced by Vinhos Barbeito. The election of a Madeira wine as the best liqueur(?) in the world is of great importance, since Madeira will increase its exports when the quality of its wine is recognized in such a way. Two other Madeira wines were also awarded at the event last week. Henriques & Henriques won a medal with a Malmsey of 2001, and also a Bual Colheita 1993 was among the winners. (It’s a bit tricky translating wine terminology, so a bit of guesswork was involved … just in case anyone was thinking of going out to buy a bottle of one of those mentioned).

The last of the front page stories today : ‘Parties Repetitive – There are places and entities, almost always the same, that are tempting for the parties in campaign times’. Bit of a pointless article really, but here goes. The political parties always target the same institutions when on the election campaign trail. Some institutions refuse to get involved. Favourites are Funchal Central Hospital and the regions health centres, to highlight a lack of conditions, Madeira Education Centre, the Farmers Market in Funchal, to get nice colourful pictures, and Madeira Free Zone. Visits to the regional command centre of the police, to highlight security issues, and the employment office of course, are also popular. The PSD social democrats particularly like to associate themselves with the church, and charities are also popular. In terms of a good backdrop for TV interviews, Pico dos Barcelos is popular, being a good spot with a panoramic view over Funchal.

"Absolute Majorites Always Abuse" – To inaugurate in election times is a sign of a lack of democratic maturity’. Those were some of the messages from Paulo Portas, national leader of the CDS Christian Democrats, on Madeira yesterday for the party political rally in Prazeres. The party has a slight chance of a seat in the Assembly of the Republic, if all goes really well. Portas referred to two politicians in his criticism, José Sócrates and Alberto João Jardim, saying that in absolute majorities "they transform the power into abuse". We all know that inaugurations at election time are a speciality of president Jardim, to win votes, but this year prime minister Sócrates is being accused of copying Jardim by doing much the same thing. Not quite on the same scale, as Jardim does two a day, and Sócrates just one. 

(31st August). Today’s main news headline : ‘Regional Produce Hardly Used In The Hotels – The appeals for the preference of fruit and vegetables from Madeira only amounts to 5% of the consumption of tourists’. ‘Qualifrutas, which supplies the hotels and restaurants, calls for greater use of regional production’. Hard to believe I know, but 95% of what a tourist gets fed in terms of fruit and vegetables is imported, that’s in the hotels, with the restaurants equally guilty. That of course applies to Madeirans eating out as well. Qualifrutas is one of the leading suppliers to the trade on Madeira, and it says it has good suppliers here, and only resorts to importing when there is insufficient product locally, a particular problem with fruit, although ‘greens’ are 30 to 40% sourced on Madeira. Lettuce and tomatoes are mainly sourced and supplied here, with little need to import, unlike green beans, cauliflower or broccoli, which require "importation in large quantities", says the company. Even the banana is imported, and the spokesman says it is just necessary to look in the supermarkets to see how little representation there is from Madeira in the greengrocery ranges.

‘Passenger With Gripe A Prevented From Boarding – The tourist was already in the airport when he received internment orders from Marmeleiros Hospital’. The tourist spent the night in hospital. Confirmation that the person had swine flu resulted in him being prevented from travelling to Lisbon and infecting other passengers on the flight. His three travelling companions also spent the night in the hospital to be screened, but at the time showed no symptoms. The tourist was on the list of suspected cases, having had symptoms, and attended Funchal Central Hospital for checks. Whilst the analysis was being done he took the medications, but his condition developed rapidly as he prepared to return home, and the confirmation of Gripe A changed his plans. The firemen of Santa Cruz were sent to the airport to pick up the group in a vehicle equipped for such cases. One of the sick patients already in hospital with pneumonia (and gripe A) has improved in health and is no longer connected to the ventilator. That patient, probably the most serious case so far, from Câmara de Lobos, no longer needs breathing assistance. They should put warnings signs up in the airports and on check-in desks to tell people that if they know they have Gripe A, and continue to fly, they could go to prison for knowingly infecting others on board – 5 years inside if I recall correctly.

‘Port Without Space Is Losing Cruise Ship Visits – A shipping agency alerts to the need to increase the posts for mooring’. This is an article in the series ‘The top 100 Companies’. This one is called Agência Ferraz, specialising in the ‘shipping’ sector, and founded 80 years ago. It deals with some of the big players in the international market, and includes tourism. Carlos Santos of the company believes that Funchal Port needs upgrading works, and although the new port building is very welcome, the real need is to increase the number of berths, particularly as ships are now getting larger. He said that the port has already lost business for not responding to the call for more capacity, and this will continue to happen. "We can not think that docking a liner in Funchal is the same as in the Mediterranean, in Greece or the Caribbean. We can not allow ourselves the luxury of refusing scales or influencing the choices of companies" he said. 

‘He Lived The High Life And Left Debts Of €20,000′. A 27 year old man is under investigation by police after a series of frauds. The man from Castelo Branco in Portugal used scams to live the life of a lord on Madeira, leaving debts in hotels, shops, and restaurants in Funchal and surrounding areas. For almost a year he used stolen cheques and faked bank transfers to ‘live the life’. In one Funchal jewellery shop he brought gold worth €1,500, paying with a stolen cheque. New complaints are coming to light, and the extent of the fraud is mounting up, and the Diário has totted up more than €20,000 so far. The case goes back to December last year, when the young man, with a criminal record as a con man in Portugal, stayed at a hotel for a few days in Funchal, leaving behind a debt of €1,200. Several other hotels also fell victim, including the Carlton Hotel, again for €1,200. The con man is no longer on Madeira, and his whereabouts at present is unknown.

Today’s main photo and sports story : ‘Marítimo Uninspired In Leiria – Goalless draw justified in weak offensive performance of the ‘Verde-Rubros’. Nacional play this evening.

That’s everything from the front page today. Normally there are at least 7 headlines, sometimes as many as 9, but today just 5.

UPDATES :

‘Lugar de Baixo Undergoes More Works’. The controversial marina at Lugar de Baixo is again the subject of repairs. This time the work addresses the damage caused as a result of securing the overlooking cliff face, as well as some damage, caused by the strength of the waves, to the wall of the jetty that protects the marina. Also the construction that houses the car park, that was also badly damaged by rock falls, is being completely demolished, as that is was deemed to be the cheaper and most appropriate option. A new parking facility will not be built for now. "At this stage there is no justification, because we have enough parking in the area for the immediate needs", said a spokesman, adding that even if there was a need, it is intended in the future to consider other enterprises planned inside the marina complex.

‘Festival of Curral Finishes With Drunks and Brawls’. A young man was left unconscious after an assault in a bar, and several men were suffering with severe alcohol intoxication, during Saturday night in the festa in Curral das Freiras (Valley of the Nuns). Ambulance services were called on six times between midnight on Saturday and 8 am Sunday morning. Also during the weekend festival in São Vicente the fire department was called upon to rescue several people worse the wear from excess drinking. "But this, as they say, is normal when there are festivals in the parish". It might be normal, but it’s certainly not acceptable!

‘Searches are continuing along the coast’. Despite having been officially suspended for four days, the search operations for the 78 year old fisherman who may have fallen in the sea in the area of Lakota, Porto Santo, have continued with searches along the coast of the island. "Once or twice a day, we carry out searches along the coast", said the commander of the Maritime Zone of Madeira, adding that after so much time having passed since the disappearance, there is little chance of the body appearing along the coast.

‘Cimber Sterling Connects Madeira And Copenhagen’. The Denmark based airline flies today to Madeira’. The first of the weekly flights was due to land at Madeira Airport at 12.50 pm, returning to Denmark one hour later. The journey each way is around 5 hours.

‘CEB should maintain interest rates’. The Central European Bank should maintain its interest rates on Thursday, waiting to see if the signs of recovery in the euro zone will extend further. The main rate by the CEB should continue at its lowest historical level of one percent, where it has been since May, according to financial analysts.

FINALLY A FEW POLITICAL BITS & PIECES :

‘Jardim Responds To César – The number of islands is not an argument for positive discrimination’. "On this, one doesn’t count the number of islands, one counts the population, and Madeira has a higher population than the Azores" he said. He was responding to the president of the Azores, who said that the autonomous regions of Portugal should not be treated equally in terms of state financing, and that the Azores should have more than Madeira because it has more islands (9). "The density of population of the Azores is 110 people per square kilometre, and on Madeira it is 330", said Jardim, who also argued that Madeira has to import from abroad more than 80 percent of what it consumes, while the Azores have "a primary sector of agriculture, fisheries and livestock" with which they have little need to import. "If he is to play with the arguments, then, I also demand a positive discrimination in relation to the Azores", he said.

The best news today is that president Jardim returns to work after 20 days of holidays on Porto Santo. Over the last few weeks his day started with a game of tennis, then its was off for a stroll with his buddies along the golden beach as far as the famous ‘Bar do Henrique’. He also took some work with him to keep busy, as well as having some official duties arranged to coincide with his stay on Porto Santo, including inaugurations. He also read a book whilst there, the latest offering by Fernando Dacosta, and returned to Funchal for the 501 year celebrations. He also had other books with him, including one I mentioned the other day ‘The Mysteries of the Islands’, which he highly recommends we should all read. That summary of Uncle Bertie’s holiday, which cost him just €200 in accommodation charges, was from the Jornal da Madeira today, just in case anyone thought I was writing my own ‘soft’ account of our presidents exploits, which included insulting half the political forces and personalities of Portugal. Is there such a thing as ‘holiday rage’, ‘cos I think he caught a dose. I for one am pleased to have you back Bertie, as it will get Porto Santo out of the newspapers, having had more coverage than Funchal over the last 3 weeks.

From the Jornal da Madeira yesterday : ‘Ferreira Leite On Madeira On 8th September – A day for contact with candidates and the population of Madeira’. The PSD party leader, president Jardim’s boss in political terms, will visit some streets in Funchal to talk to people.

She’s the one on the left. I have no idea who the other bloke is.

(17th August). The last story from today’s front page : ‘The Daily Expense That Jardim Is Said To Pay On Porto Santo Wouldn’t Be Enough To Pay For Camping – The houses with tennis and sea access are cheaper than a little tent’. This story comes up every year, the issue of the politicians and the rich and famous who get taxpayer subsidised holidays on Porto Santo, and I for sure know we have already covered the story here at least once already this year. But it’s on the front page again. Anyway, the two houses owned by the ‘Presidency of the Government’, on Porto Santo, one of which is currently rented by President Jardim on holiday there, cost €10 per day, a price at which "Alberto João Jardim wouldn’t be able to manage to erect a tent for two people in the camping park", according to the Diário. The two houses are under the direct administration of the Presidency, so it sets the prices, and manages the bookings, for the members of the Executive and their families. Jardim is also accompanied by family, and two police officers for security purposes. Meanwhile a few hundred metres away lies the ‘Parque de Campismo’, where according to the price list on the website, a payment of €10 would not allow a couple to spend the night there, and based on the dimensions of Jardim and his entourage (without police) he would have to pay €11.60 a day. For that, unlike the government houses, there would be no hot water. The Diário then takes it’s inquiry to the hotels, where it concludes that one could not find a room there in high season for less than €50. The two holiday houses have been used by Jardim and the Executive for almost the last 30 years, and nothing else like this exists in all of Portugal, with politicians in other walks having to fund their own holidays in full. The Diário concludes that during the last 20 years that Jardim has saved himself around €50,000, enough to buy a top of the range car.

‘PS Recovers Posters – The re-candidature of Emanuel Câmara uses the election posters of 2005′. The socialist party candidate is the same one from four years ago in Porto Moniz, and the election posters appearing in the streets are a little yellowed with age, but reusable. The date ’2005′ that showed back then has had to be cut out (bottom left corner), but the candidate says he is following the 3 ‘R’ rule, for recycle, reduce, and reuse, as part of his ‘green credentials’. Sources close to the politician however say that is not the main reason, it is a shortage of funds for political advertising and also the late announcement of candidacy that are responsible. Just as well he was already grey haired then, and there is no truth in the rumours that that until a week ago the man had a full beard and moustache set, and now keeps walking into lampposts. Too subtle … sorry!

I could have got 4 ‘Câmaras’ in that headline, but was stuck for space : Câmara runs for Câmara, but doesn’t need a film in the câmara of the câmara.

A quick look at matters of the economy : 

’100 largest companies: Best practices – Healthy environment. Producing energy using wind and water from the drains of Quinta do Lorde, that wants to be the model environment’. It is a controversial project that the company SA is developing in Caniçal, being Quinta do Lorde. Why build 49 buildings in an area of natural park with huge impacts, although paradoxically it was taken as an example of good environmental practice. The president of the company Ricardo Sousa says that the project invested in the "implementation of an eco-resort, a sustainable tourism community, self sufficient in energy and water, part of a strategy for restating Madeira as a (green?) tourist destination’. The construction is "based on exploiting renewable energy resources and high energy efficiency in the buildings and equipment, a strategy that gives high standards of comfort with lower energy consumption, minimising the environmental impacts". The project is even installing a desalination unit, capable of producing 100 cubic metres of drinking water a day from sea water. A waste water treatment plant will also be installed, to process all the sewerage, then to be used for keeping the gardens green. Three wind generators and an area of solar panels will be used to generate energy. Much more in facts and figures :
Sousa is the majority (84%) shareholder of the company of 100 shareholders.
The total project costs are around €100 million, or which €4 million came from state incentives.
The cheapest house will cost €1.2 million, whilst apartments will start at €380,000.
The total project covers 163,750 square metres of natural park land.
‘White man speaks with forked tongue’ is what springs to mind, but regardless, some wealthy folks who don’t give two figs about the environment, or who are persuaded by said ‘forked tongue’ that they are actually doing a good thing, will buy. To those people I say that when you are sat on your very comfortable loo in the morning generating electricity and fresh water, just remember that old adage ‘what goes around comes around’, and then go and make a nice cup of tea and hope they got the plumbing right.

(16th August). The last story from yesterday’s front page : ‘Businessman Loses €5 Million Due To Popular Actions – Miguel Viveiros moves forward with his new project of gravel in Machico after a difficult financial phase resulting from, according to the businessman, of popular actions that stopped him continuing three works during two years’. The ‘self made man’ stopped works in Santana, Machico, and Caniçal, and was forced to rethink his plans without losing sight of his investments. The €5 million lost was due to three court actions, and that figure didn’t include interest and bank charges, or lost revenue and opportunities, and not to mention the two hundred people put out of work. I have no idea if the legal actions were frivolous or not.

(15th August). ‘Inflation Rate For Portugal And Ireland Is The lowest In Europe’. In the 12 months until July 2009, both countries registered annual inflation of just 0.5%.

‘Producers Challenge Price Of Milk – farmers complain that they receive the same today as 20 years ago’. As most of our milk here is imported, I guess it’s relevant. Community directives combined with the effects of the crisis have left milk producers (but not the cows) complaining about what they are paid. "The European Union has decided to end the production quotas for milk at the worst time, in the height of the crisis" says the president of the association of young farmers in Porto. Now supply exceeds demand. He says the situation will resolve itself, as the producers become insolvent and go out of business, resulting in a shortage of supply, and then the price rises follow. It’s been quite noticeable here the price swings for milk sold on Madeira. Up until about two years ago I was paying 45c a litre carton, then up until a year ago I was paying 75 to 80c, but now you can get milk as cheap as 39c a litre.