The provincial government of Benguet is looking at the possibility of reviving tramlines used by farmers in the past to ease the burden of transporting vegetables from mountain farms to the nearest roads.
Provincial Agriculturist Delinia Juan said in an interview on Friday that with the help of the Department of Agriculture, they started validation in various areas where the tramlines will be re-established.
Juan said that Governor Melchor Diclas has expressed support for the tramline revival as he recognized its role in addressing the long-standing challenge of manually hauling vegetable harvests.
“Tramlines also address the hours of manually hauling, reducing the time of bringing the highly perishable vegetables to their destination,” she said.
Tramlines, powered by small engines and similar to cable cars, are especially useful in remote mountain farms where road access is limited or nonexistent.
She added that the DA Central Office has already inspected existing tramline sites to assess their value in supporting the agriculture sector.
Juan also highlighted the tramlines’ potential role during road closures due to landslides, particularly in the rainy season.
Meanwhile, the provincial government continues to implement measures to support farmers, including rapid disaster response to maintain access to farming areas. (PNA)
