The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry has begun undertaking improvements on  “Russo”, a rural side road in the parish of Santana, municipality of Nordeste.

These improvements will make it possible to connect this rural pathway to the regional road and made it safer for its users.

Presently, the Regional Secretariat is undertaking the enlargement of the pathway. Soon, it will asphalt this 1,500-metre long side-road and improve its drainage system.

It considers these measures to be a part of a larger project of road improvements for the parish of Santana, which includes the rural pathways of the Banda dos Moinhos, Cancelão e Picos, covering a total area of 4,300 metres.

This project will reach its conclusion by July 2010. The Regional Government is directly managing the implementation of these improvement measures, which are estimated to cost €550,000.

These improved rural side-roads will provide access to 60 hectares of pasture, 20 hectares of private forests and will greatly reduce the transit of cattle in the regional road.

In addition to enabling the easy access of vehicles and machines to forests and pastures, these side-roads also contribute to the modernisation of the agricultural sector given that they facilitate the rapid outflow of agricultural products. The speedy outflow of products makes it easier to preserve their quality and, as a consequence, can have a positive impact on the incomes of farmers.