New agri tramlines complete by August

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Center for Post-Harvest and Mechanization (Philmech) is on track to completing its agricultural tramline systems project by August 2013. 

In a statement on Wednesday, April 17, Philmech said 32 tramline systems would be built in various areas nationwide as part of efforts to increase farmers’ incomes by reducing transportation costs and post-harvest losses.

The tramlines would have a lifespan of 15 years and wouldn’t need much repairs, said Philmech. They would however be more expensive to build than the 97 lines completed between 2009 and 2011.

The Department of Agriculture is spending P3 million per kilometer, a million more than the P2 million it spent for the other lines. The agency is spending P96 million from its 2012 budget for the project.

Better incomes

The project, which began in 2012, aims to lower the cost of transporting high-value crops and other farm goods, as well as reduce the average post-harvest loss rate to 5% from 25%.

The new tramline systems will be built in mountainous and hilly farming communities such as those in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region 3 (Central Luzon) and Region 2 (Cagayan Valley). 

A tramline system usually stretches from 800 meters to one kilometer, and has capacity to transport between 350 to 500 kilograms of goods. 

Philmech Executive Director Rex Bingabing said that in areas where there are existing tramline systems, farmers have expanded their production. The construction of tramlines in some areas have also contributed to the socio-economic well-being of households because of higher incomes.

The tramlines will be operated either by local government units or farmers’ cooperatives. The revenues from fares will be used for maintenance and repairs. – Rappler.com