About Corte Velada

The history of the Corte Velada's estate is more than 50 years old. The extensive biodiversity created and preserved until the 90s was devastated in 2003 by fires of great intensity. Since then, the ecological recovery efforts of the territory have been successful, and water reserves have been improved in order to create nine dams that attract fauna and allow the recolonization of flora species.

The Corte Velada group of companies is owned by a Norwegian investment group with a Dutch partner and is made up of three companies with complementary purposes. (I) Corte Velada - Investimentos, Lda. Is responsible for managing the group's assets, (ii) Corte Velada - Investigação Sociedade Unipessoal, Lda. is dedicated to R & D activities in the forestry industry and (iii) Corte Velada, Leisure, Lda., a company dedicated to the tourist exploration of the Herdade with the same name.

The Group's strategy is to continue the process of reclassification of the estate of Corte Velada, an estate resulting from the joining of the properties Corte Barriga and Corte Velada. It covers an area of ​​about 271 ha and is located on the northern border of the municipality of Lagos, in the parish of Bensafrim.

The Group's activity is centered on the dynamization of the estate and the preservation of its biodiversity through its commitment to reforestation, research and development in the ranks of the arbutus and cork oak.

As part of the implementation of a Forest Management Plan, the following projects were implemented:

- Forest management and fire prevention measures;

- Plantation of 180ha of arbutus trees (45,000 plants) and cork trees (24,230 plants);

- Creation of 9 dams;

- Execution of 14km of nature trails;

- Active promotion of biodiversity.

Investigation and development

The Corte Velada group has taken R & D as a fundamental pillar of its business strategy. Since 2007, it has invested more than 6 million Euros aimed at reforestation, research and development in the rangelands of the arbutus and cork oak.

To this end, the Company created a research and development center for endogenous resources in the region, consisting of a glass greenhouse and a rainwater retention and storage system, which allowed the multiplication of the arbutus tree to grow in vegetation.

The research activities carried out at the center have already enabled the creation of a robust and diversified genetic bank of the species of Medronheiro. Started in 2014, clone production is a fundamental milestone and a pioneer in breeding the species.

The selection of specific specific clones of arbutus, for use as ornamental plants, production of brandy and fresh fruit, allows the mass production of this plant, guaranteeing the maximum uniformity of the derived products.

Corte Velada dominates the process of vegetative multiplication by stem cuttings (in vivo) and has a large settlement of arbutus where it can select individuals with higher productivity index or other characteristics of interest and has contact with multiple forest owners of the Sierras Algarvias .

INDUSTRIALIZATION:

The process of installing an industrial distillery and strawberry processing plant is under way.

This processing plant will allow the production of authentic products of recognized quality for national and international marketing from local production of arbutus.

The construction of this unit allows the transformation of arbutus into diversified products, such as the production of Aguardente de Medronho and other products under development at the research center.

The processing unit will also have a cold unit for storing the fruit.

The building will also include a museological nucleus that will allow presenting the arbutus and its specific characteristics, as well as the dissemination of the work developed in the Center of Studies of the Estate.

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

- Protocols established with the University of Algarve - UALG - for cooperation in research and development in the creation of new products derived from arbutus.

- Cooperation with INIAV - National Institute of Agrarian and Veterinary Research, I.P.