Guv predicts double vegetables transports with tramlines introduction in Benguet

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, July 3 (PNA) -- Benguet provincial governor Nestor Fongwan Thursday predicted that the local farmers can double their daily transport to markets of more than 2,000 tons of fresh vegetables when wide fertile farms in eight towns will already be serviced with tramlines.

He said that the government through the Bureau of Post Harvest Research and Extension (BPRE) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently released some P34 million for the unique transport facility.

The tramlines link areas separated by deep ravines and gorges unreachable by any road or bridge in order that they can ferry load to the other side of the mountain before they are transported finally to the nearest road.

"Many of these fertile terraces and farms which have better yield despite minimum organic fertilizers are used are located in Tublay, Kapangan, Buguias, Bakun, Kabayan, Atok, Bokod and Sablan towns which are all mountainous in terrain," Fongwan said.

The governor said many farmers in these areas tried to produce as much as they could but carrying a payload of more than 50 kilograms down to a ravine and then up to the other side of a mountain is a very taxing task.

Past investigations showed that most marijuana plantations were raided in such areas because of non-profitability of any legitimate agriculture venture due to utter lack of transportation of products to nearest roads.