Madeira News Blog

(9th August). Today’s main news headline : ‘Madeira Government Puts The Wine Companies To Resolve Surpluses – The secretary Manuel António and the social democrat Jamie Ramos promised that there would not be a a grape left to sell. With the excessive production, the government, in election times imposes on the companies that they buy more than they need’. There is already too much wine in stock, but for "electoral reasons" the government commits the ‘wine houses’ to buy more grapes than they need. Now there are 14 million litres of wines in stock here, but an export market of little more than 3 million litres annually. Over / high production also should result in a drop in grape prices, and it is this problem that scares our leaders. The problem is not just political, but relates to the sustainability of the whole sector. We produce more wine than there is demand, and as a result the companies that produce and export Vinho Madeira are starting to feel economic difficulties in managing very large stocks of wine. Guarantees to growers given by our leaders and politicians did not go unheeded, and as the government cannot buy the excess grapes, and nor can the PSD social democrats, the private sector has been committed. Manuel António Correia, Regional Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources, is now waving money at the merchants, having secured a line of credit of €3.5 million, especially to ensure that the total grape production of 2009 is brought up. The incentive is that the merchants can borrow the capital necessary, and the government will then pay the loan interest (100% year 1, 90%, 50%, and 50% in the 4th and final year). The situation has arisen in part because the government has wavered in imposing production limits on the farmers, by hectare. Exports registered a sharp fall last year, with the devaluation of the British pound cited as the main reason. Unbelievable.  I am sure there must be some European law which prevents this sort of thing, but as it is not a direct state subsidy perhaps not. Did you know there is a ‘Madeira sem alcool’ (alcohol free Madeira wine)?

‘TV Inspires More Crime Than The Immigrants’. The isolated cases – the death of the businessman of Porto Santo (kidnapped and murdered) may give a different idea, but the police guarantee that Madeira is still safe. The husband that murdered his wife during divorce proceedings (Calheta), or the man who stabbed his neighbour to death over a land dispute. This is still the pattern of homicides on Madeira, but the Judiciary Police still regard this region as the safest in Portugal, both in numbers and the behaviour of the population. The regional coordinator of the PJ says that the environment here is relaxed, and one can move around day and night, on foot or by car with total free will, unlike parts of Porto or Lisbon where one needs to take precautions when travelling, or going to a cashpoint machine. He says that crimes such as the Porto Santo kidnapping, are what the PJ term ‘imported crime’, the roots in this case being Brazilian. The other crimes (mentioned) are the same as always, but now have lost weight and importance, but have not disappeared. The nature of other petty crimes has changed here, with drugs and the internet often at the root. The criminal types that operate here have changed targets, moving from city centre shops, out to residential areas. Crime victims now are often people living alone. Ricardo Silva, the regional coordinator of the PJ, does point out that imported crime comes more often and more harmful via television, than by the immigrants who came to Madeira in the last 10 years. He says that these TV images may encourage those who have criminal tendencies, but never had the courage to carry out what they were thinking, through their frustrations and hates.

‘Raul Solnado Died (1929 – 2009) – The creative comedian that entertained generations, but was also a very fine actor’. He is not Madeiran, but he is obviously very popular judging by the amount of media coverage yesterday and today. He is to be cremated today in Olivais.

Marítimo played Nacional in Machico last night, and the main front page photo today shows the ‘full house’ crowd wearing their ‘Chapeau de Esperança’ hats (Hat of Hope – fundraising for social causes) leading to the headline : ‘Solidarity Wins The Derby Match In Machico – Marítimo beat Nacional 3 – 0′.

This from the Jornal da Madeira : ‘Hot Spring: Cause Of The Jellyfish? In the season for beach outings, life has not been so good for those who like the sea. The jellyfish have tormented, almost daily, those who go to the sunny beaches. Already many people have been stung’. The uneasiness arrived before the beach season began. Almost daily came the creatures with three names (alforrecas, águas-vivas, and medusas), clinging along the coast, particularly along the south of Madeira. Many people have been stung, and some say the beach season has been ruined by the creatures that have stopped holidaymakers enjoying a dip, without any fear, in the Atlantic. The beach and pool complex lifeguards have had a lot of extra work as a result too. At the Lido in Funchal for example, they have to do several underwater exploratory dives a day, to see if there is a jellyfish problem, but even so swimmers are still getting stung. The Jornal spoke with a biologist, who said the species encountered this year is different to the usual less troublesome creatures. It is called ‘Pelagia noctiluca’, and is a species that likes to hang around at the waters surface, and stings more than most species. It is not very dangerous, but is able to sting with contact with any part of its lower body. The biologist who has been here since 1992, says this has been the worst year he has seen here for jellyfish. He said this species also occurs in the Mediterranean, in numbers for maybe several years, and then they just disappear, the cycle there being between 10 to 14 years. It could be different here, and the increased numbers are more likely to be to do with a hot Spring than with sea pollution. A medical doctor says that there are people extremely sensitive to the stings that can burn ‘incredibly’, and children are known to cry a lot and spend the rest of the holiday fed up. One sting to a child can completely ruin a holiday, he said. Some people feel a burning for a few hours, and then it just passes, and the victim stays on the beach. With some the sting mark will remain for months. Home treatment recommendations include applying vinegar or alcohol (externally), and any moisturising cream will help relieve the pain. There are also creams containing corticosteroids that "are excellent" but they should only be used on the recommendation of a doctor or pharmacist. If you don’t have any alcohol or vinegar to hand after being stung, there is another ‘home made’ liquid that most people have available at a moments notice, carried around in ones bathing costume, though quite how you get it from the dispenser to the jellyfish sting will depend on personal preferences. The article definitely says use "your own", just to make sure there is no confusion. Was I hibernating I wonder, as I am sure I missed that ‘hot Spring’.

(8th August). ‘Nobody Takes Responsibility For The ban On Selling Wine On Porto Santo – After the council, now it is the Regional Inspectorate of Economic Activities saying that it is the law that prohibits. The product has its days numbered’. The reactions to the news of the ban on the sale of Vinho Seco wine on Porto Santo, by glass or bottle, on the fruit stalls, continues to cause reactions, this time from IRAE. In a statement on the subject the Regional Inspectorate of Economic Activities rules out responsibility for the ban, behind the cover of "law enforcement". According to a statement from the IRAE on Friday, "in the Summer of 2007, complaints were received that bottled wines and aguardente were being sold, allegedly adulterated, in market stands located on Porto Santo". The IRAE then moved in and seized bottles, under their legal obligation, but the complaints were not verified.  They did not make any ban on the sales, but point out that the law requires tax to be paid and proper labelling of bottles with the seal of assurance, and that there should be hygienic conditions within a licensed authorisation. The council on Porto Santo has already distanced itself from any decision to ban Vinho Seco. That’s every festa on Madeira cancelled forever then, or dry at least. I hate to think what would happen if someone looked into the sale of food at these festas (in terms of hygiene), but for sure it will happen one day.

Petrol (gasolina 95) rises two cêntimos a litre in price tomorrow, to €1.211. Diesel rises by 1c per litre.

From the Jornal da Madeira : ’1,715 Accidents In The First 6 Months Of 2009 – The number has dropped, police commissioner Pimenta says that many people have taken the advice of the police, but there has been an increase of breaking limits, some with fatal consequences and serious injuries as a result’. The overall accident count has been reducing since 2003, when there were 5,950, with last year reporting 3,035 for the whole year. So far this year there have been 10 road accident fatalities, the latest being on 1st August, 70 serious injuries, and 518 light injuries. More than half of all accidents are caused by excess speed.

The number of drivers caught without driving licences by police is escalating. 170 people have already been detained, in just the first 7 months of 2009. The whole of 2008 led to 198 detentions for this crime, with the numbers growing for the last 5 years. It doesn’t say so, but I suspect that more police checks are behind the reasons.

The bridge ‘ponte do Bettencourt’, by the ‘Bazar do Povo’ in Funchal was reopened to traffic on Saturday evening … early! The reinforcing / repairs works were shorter than expected because the north platform was found to have been in better condition than was expected, and with the use of prefabricated girders. The job was supposed to have taken until next month (then add two more months for Madeira). There are still some jobs left to do, but they will be finished this week.

(15th June). Today’s main news headline : ‘Minimum Salary Pays Drugs – The residents of Bairro da Nogueira condemn the habits and consumers of all social classes and the wretched traffickers ; the arrests by police triple compared to last year’. Drugs that come to Madeira are primarily from Portugal, but manufactured in South Africa. The consumers are mainly male, but come from all social classes of various ages. In the area mentioned, consumption and trafficking is widespread, and goes hand-in-hand with social problems such as unemployment and alcohol. Those not gripped by the vice, live in fear, and compare the neighbourhood to a morgue. Those interviewed "risked their skin", and were unanimous in saying that unemployment benefits were paying for drugs in Nogueira. Police say that in the first 4 months of this year there has been a significant increase in drug seizures, being mostly hashish and heroin. The number of arrests increased from 10 to 35. However the police were keen to clarify that that does not signify a worsening of the drug problem, because they consider the situation stabilised, and that their agents are more efficient and committed, and that there is a good cooperation between the various entities involved in dealing with drug problems. Clearly the public and police do not agree on the current seriousness of the problem.

‘Madeirans Opt For Holidays Close to Home – The price is decisive in the choice of destinations. The Canary Islands lead the preferences’. The Balearic Islands, Southern Spain and Portugal, Cape Verde, the north coast of Africa, and of course Porto Santo island also are in the preference lists. A travel agency ‘Madeira Viagens’ confirms that the Canaries, Tunisia and even Malta are top of the preferences, with prices under €900 for a family holiday. Another agency ‘Top Atlantic’ says demand is slow, and people are more price conscious and taking longer to decide, often waiting for better deals to come along, only to find them gone before they reserve. He says that the cruise market is the best bet this year for his agency, especially in the Mediterranean. Loads more deals and prices mentioned, but I think the highlight for the budget conscious is a week in the Canaries for €290.

‘Hundreds Attracted By The Parades Of Santo António In Ponta do Sol – Colour and much entertainment liven the sea front of the town’. Around 650 participants in 11 troupes took part. No pictures in the Diário, nor any photos sent in, so I can’t show you anything yet of the two festas in Ponta do Sol and Santo António.

‘Regional Secretary for the Environment Announces Madeira Product Seal – The government initiative aims to stimulate the consumption of regional products of the primary sector’. He also estimates that cherry production this year should reach 220 tons. "It is an excellent year" he said, adding "I am taking a chance in saying that it is one of the best years ever in commercial cherry production". He was speaking from the Cherry Festival at Jardim da Serra, the main cherry production area where the cultivation area has been increased. The festival attracted many visitors from Câmara de Lobos, where it was also announced that priority would be given to farm roads there, as much of the crop movement is still done ‘by hand’.  The new ‘seal´of Madeira will be used in the whole ‘primary sector’, and include agricultural products, livestock, and fishing, with the aim of stimulating consumption of the produce of Madeira. Excellent idea with the Madeira ‘seal’ I think, but isn’t there already one for the bananas, or is that just an unofficial eyecatching sticker?

Portugal has it’s third confirmed case of H1N1 Swine Flu, and there is another suspected case being tested.

Another front page article is about the rally team of Bernardo from Madeira winning their first points for this year in Greece, and another two headlines are in politics and economy so I will cover later on.

(11th June). ‘The New Junction In Pilar Continues To send People To Hospital’. The new road junction at Pilar that joins the via rápida continues to cause problems, with residents nearby saying that there accidents happening every day. One accident between two cars on Wednesday morning injured two people, who had to be taken to hospital by ambulance. One had a fracture, the other a spinal injury, but both were discharged after treatment. Other accidents are cited, and the main problem seems to be with confusion over right of way.

‘Madeira Going To Do Tests To Detect Virus H1N1 – It is not yet confirmed the first suspected case of Gripe A on Madeira. The tests had a negative result’. As mentioned yesterday, a 52 year old man was in hospital with suspected swine flu, but has now been discharged. It turns out that he is actually an American. The samples were taken to Lisbon for analysis, but from the middle of next month any such analysis will be undertaken on Madeira, with the equipment necessary expected to be delivered in the next 3 weeks.

The Regional Secretary for Social Affairs warns that in 2050 there will be an increase in the over 65′s of 112% (gradually I presume?). That follows a European trend, that the regional secretary says presents a challenge to find solutions to deal with the problem. He adds that presently there are around 800 elderly people who need to be interned, but that there are only 250 beds available through the state homes.

’2008 : The Worst In 30 Years – The weather helped production in Jardim da Serra that has it’s festival this weekend’. The cherry harvesting in the area has begun, and if the rain doesn’t come and spoil things, then it should be a much better year than last year. It’s an interesting article about the life of a cherry farmer, who not only has to worry about the crop and the weather, but also about the dangers of the job, and cherry thieves. If you know where to look, you can buy cherries at the moment at €1.80 a kilo, whereas last year, maybe because of the poor crop, the cheapest ones you would have found would have been €2.50 a kilo.

The International Business Centre of Madeira (CINM) could be a major beneficiary of an exodus of investors, that many analysts predict will hit the United Kingdom, as a result of the announcement of tax changes announced by the government of Gordon Brown. For the first time since 1997 the tax burden on high levels of income and profits will increase to 50%, a measure that will come into force in April 2010. The decision sparked a chorus of criticism from various sectors of private finance, with a threat that seems increasingly popular : Leave the country. That takes advance planning says an executive from HSBC Bank, and that companies should start taking the steps now. In an interview given, he said his company "has received an increasing number of enquiries about the possibility of relocating parts of businesses to Madeira".

‘Porto Santo Begins To Recover’. After a tough Winter, the hotels are starting to recover some of the losses from the first 4 months of this year, which in some cases were 20% worse than in 2008. A spokesman for one hotel group says that the signs are better with hotels full over this short holiday spell and with more promising indicators for the Summer season. The Porto Santo Line ferry has transported over 5,000 people over the last few days, as a result of the two public holidays coming together and close to a weekend.

Any guesses what will dominate the front page of our newspapers tomorrow?