DA-CAR to construct tramlines for highland farmers, providing faster, cheaper transport of agri-produce

La Trinidad, Benguet - Highland farmers in the Cordillera are set to benefit from a major agricultural transport innovation with the construction of tramlines in seventeen mountainous areas in the region starting in fiscal year 2026. 

To be constructed by the Department of Agriculture (DA), this initiative aims to ease the burden of transporting agricultural produce of highland farms, providing faster, safer, and more cost-effective alternatives to traditional hauling. 

Tramlines, the tracks or rails in hilly areas upon which a tram or streetcar runs, are an aerial lift system used to transport inputs, such as fertilizer, from the road to the farm and, subsequently, produce from the farm to the road. 

The systems are particularly effective in Cordillera’s rugged topography, where farm-to-market roads are either unfeasible or beyond budget feasibility. Although FMRs and tramline projects are both good for better transport of agricultural produce, tramline systems are significantly cheaper and faster to construct than roads, require minimal environmental disruption, and reduce transport costs and post-harvest losses. 

According to DA Assistant Secretary for Logistics Daniel Atayde, seventeen areas in Baguio City, Mt. Province, Buguias in Benguet, and Sadsadan in Bauko will be the first to receive heavy-duty tramline systems, which will be implemented next year. 

Atayde made the announcement following his inspection and dialogues with local government units and farmers’ cooperatives and associations during his visit to these areas on April 23-25, 2025.   

“ The construction of tramlines is part of a broader plan to provide strategic post-harvest interventions,” added Atayde regarding the purpose of the project, as quoted by the DA-CAR in its press release. 

With tramlines, Cordillera farmers who once carried their produce on foot for hours will be able to complete the journey in just minutes by simply loading their goods into the tram, which will transport them directly to the drop-off point.