The council expects to extract close to 490,000 kilos of cork from the woodlands which lie within the municipality of Cortes de la Frontera, inside the Los Alcornocales Natural Park.

Contractor Óscar Rodríguez Fernández will carry out this year's operation, after being awarded the contract through a public tender process.

Cork is the most valuable resource produced from the council's estates. It provides an important source of municipal income each year, and the campaign is expected to give a significant boost to rural employment.

According to the local authority, sales from the 2025 harvest generated more than 600,000 euros in revenue. This year, extraction, collection and transport of the cork are forecast to generate around 1,200 workdays.

However, final production will depend on how the work progresses and on the condition of the trees. Cork is stripped during the months when the bark separates most easily from the trunk. It's a skilled process that requires experienced workers, so the cork oaks aren't damaged in the stripping.

That said, the municipality's Montes de Propios, publicly owned estates managed to generate income for the local authority, provide more than just cork. The council also earns income from livestock grazing, pasture and timber production. At the same time, it carries out conservation work and maintains access tracks across the estates.

Councillor for Forestry Juan Carlos González highlighted the economic importance of the public land. He stressed the need to maintain a "traditional activity" that continues to sustain employment in rural communities, including work for specialist crews and forestry workers alongside the income generated for the council.

Meanwhile, the Andalusian regional government is carrying out improvement works on several tracks in the area. The projects, led by the Regional Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, form part of repairs to damage caused by a recent succession of storms.