Tramline transport facilities increase the productivity of temperate vegetable farms in the uplands of Benguet Province, Philippines

Issue Date

1-2012

Abstract

While the country is endowed with vast agricultural lands, almost half of this is considered as either idle or not very productive. This can be attributed to the mountainous topography that renders transport difficult, labor intensive and costly. The provision of farm-to-market roads (FMR) in these areas is also not an option because the steep slopes make construction of the latter technically difficult and economically nonviable. The uplands thus remain marginalized and low in productivity given its isolation from the market. To address this condition and improve the productivity of these upland farms, the government introduced tramline transport facilities in selected mountainous areas like the Benguet province. Tramlines are hauling facilities that utilize a series of steel cables, pulleys and post structures to transport products from the farms to the nearest roads accessible by vehicle. Tramlines are commonly used for the transport of temperate vegetables like potato (Solanum tuberosum) cabbage (Brassica oleracea), carrot (Daucus carota) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) which are commercially produced in Benguet Province. The provision of tramline facilities influence the decision of upland farmers in the type of land use, level of input utilization and cropping intensity. Because of the reduction of the cost of transport, farms serviced with tramline facilities apply higher amounts of fertilizer, devote more areas for cropping and have higher cropping intensities resulting in higher productivity. Upland farmers are also relieved from the drudgery of the traditional manual transport.

Source or Periodical Title

Journal of the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences

ISSN

0859-3132

Volume

18

Issue

1

Page

147-159

Document Type

Article

Language

English

Subject

Cropping intensity, Market access, Mountainous areas

Digital Copy

yes

Link to Full Text

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