Agricultural Tramlime for Carranglan
Vegetable farmers in the mountainous areas of Carranglan, Nueva Ecija can now bring their produce to the road side fast and easy, as an agricultural tramline was turned over recently by BPRE Executive Director Ricardo L. Cachuela to the municipal government.
The agricultural tramline is an alternative transport system that facilitates efficient delivery of agricultural products at reduced cost from production areas to the market.
Carranglan Mayor Luvimindo Otic received the agricultural tramline in behalf of his constituents and expressed his gratitude for its establishment in his municipality. “This technology is badly needed in our place,” he said.
About 40 km away from San Jose City, Carranglan was chosen as a site for the agricultural tramline project because it is a vegetable-producing area in Nueva Ecija. The project is expected to serve 50 vegetable farmers with a total production area of 50 hectares (ha). Around 20 ha are also expected to be planted with high value commercial crops next season.
Cachuela said the tramline would really benefit upland vegetable farmers, as it will help them transport their produce from isolated areas to the nearest roads with much reduced postharvest losses. Compared to farm-to-market roads that are more expensive to construct and difficult to maintain in these areas, the tramline has lower investment cost and doesn’t require massive forest clearing. It has also simple design and easy to operate and maintain.
The Carranglan Agricultural Tramline Project is a collaborative undertaking of BPRE, Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit III, Nueva Ecija provincial government, and the municipal local government unit of Carranglan.
The tramline would be a big help to us farmers here. Our hauling and labor cost would be greatly reduced and at the same time, the quality of our vegetables and fruits would be maintained due to faster transport,” Felimon Lucas, barangay captain of Capintalan, Carranglan.
