The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry announced today that a major rodent control campaign will be carried out in the Azores, prior to the sowing period, involving the Government, Municipalities and Village Councils in order to reduce the number of rodents. The initiative is also aimed at the population in general.
 
"During this first quarter, there will be a global action across the Region. On some islands, this action is already underway such as the case of São Jorge. In the specific case of São Miguel, we are also planning to take action involving governmental departments, municipalities and villages, but we also want to involve the population," said João Ponte. He spoke to journalists at the end of a meeting with the President of the Association of Municipalities of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, Cristina Calisto.
 
With regard to rodent control, João Ponte pointed out that it is "fundamental" for everyone involved to adapt good practices among farmers, entrepreneurs, municipalities, the Government or individuals in a concerted and coordinated action to achieve positive results.
 
"We need to have control plans for rodents; farmers, industries and schools must have them. There is also a need for more supervision. In this context, it has been assumed that, both on the part of the Government and on the part of local authorities, this effort must be undertaken, "João Ponte said, adding that a greater effort will also have to be made in awareness-raising and training actions.
 
The Regional Secretary revealed that a manual of good practices will be made simple and easy to consult for distribution among the population and all agents. Furthermore, there will be awareness-raising and training campaigns in all villages.
 
In the meeting with Cristina Calisto, agricultural roads were another topic under discussion. In this regard, João Ponte urged municipalities to have a greater involvement in their maintenance, given that many of them are located within the urban network and not only serve farmers.
 
"The Regional Institute of Agrarian Planning - IROA will not stop doing its work regarding the maintenance of roads, but we need a greater involvement of municipalities," said the government official.
 
João Ponte praised the work carried out by local authorities in providing municipalities with animal collection centres, adding that there are already four authorised centres in the Region, involving eight municipalities.
 
"There are 11 municipalities to go. We know that many of them have works in progress and we urge that these works be completed as soon as possible. We also announce that, from March, we will carry out control and inspection actions for compliance with the law," stressed the Regional Secretary.