Cork Production, Portugal

Portugal produces about half the world output of commercial cork, and its exports over recent years have accounted for around 70 percent of world trade.
One of the premier products of Portugal is obtained from the bark of the cork oak tree and is harvested for a period of about 9 years. Cork is a vegetable tissue and because of its versatility it has had a variety of uses from fishing boats, floor tiles to decorative items and, of course, bottle stops.

Years before the birth of Christ, the usage of cork has been prevalent in the various Asian countries and in Italy as well. Portugal was covered with abundant cork oak tree plantations because of the favorable climatic conditions and the Portuguese should be credited for being the first in the world to introduce suitable norms related to the conservation and preservation of these cork oak trees.



Moreover, during the Age of Discovery in the 14th century the Portuguese explorers used cork wood as ship building material. In those days, cork oak wood was referred to as ‘sovaro’ and considered as perfect to withstand harsh weather conditions and the unique quality of never rotting.