This book contains the reports of the workshops given and the papers prepared for the workshops. The first part of this book summarizes workshop activities and conclusions. The second part of this volume contains 60 edited papers in which technical, social and economic aspects of animal traction are presented and analysed

Conference report on the use of animal traction in farming in developing countries - reports of field studies, summary of group discussions, economic evaluation, sociological aspects, research and development. Diagrams, photographs.

This new resource book provides a wealth of ideas and experiences concerning animal traction in many countries. This publication has been developed from the ATNESA workshop held in Kenya on 'meeting the challenges of animal traction' and draws together key papers and contributions from professionals in 27 different countries. The papers address a number of important challenges to animal traction that relate to participation, environment, gender, extension, transport, equipment and animal husbandry. In addition, several papers describe national-level challenges and project attempts to address these. It will be of great value to all those concerned with the development of animal power, tropical agricultural development and rural transport, especially those involved in participative research, training, extension, development, planning, gender issues and project implementation.

The profitability of animal traction. The management of draft animals. Animal-powered tillage and weeding technology. The supply and distribution of implements for animal traction women and animal traction technology. The transfer of animal traction technology. Animal-powered transport. Diversifyng operations using animal power. Country experiences and constraints.

This framework presents ten interrelated principles/elements to guide Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa (SAMA). Further, it presents the technical issues to be considered under SAMA and the options to be analysed at the country and sub regional levels. The ten key elements required in a framework for SAMA are as follows: The analysis in the framework calls for a specific approach, involving learning from other parts of the world where significant transformation of the agricultural mechanization sector has already occurred within a three-to-four decade time frame, and developing policies and programmes to realize Africa’s aspirations of Zero Hunger by 2025. This approach entails the identification and prioritization of relevant and interrelated elements to help countries develop strategies and practical development plans that create synergies in line with their agricultural transformation plans. Given the unique characteristics of each country and the diverse needs of Africa due to the ecological heterogeneity and the wide range of farm sizes, the framework avoids being prescriptive.

Cover Crops in West Africa Contributing to Sustainable Agriculture

In large parts of the developed and developing worlds soil tillage by plough or hoe is the main cause of land degradation leading to stagnating or even declining production levels and increasing production cost. It causes the soil to become more dense and compacted, the organic matter content to be reduced and water runoff and soil erosion to increase. It also leads to droughts becoming more severe and the soil becoming less fertile and less responsive to fertiliser. This book brings together the key notes lectures and other outstanding contributions of the I World Congress on Conservation Agriculture and provides an updated view of the environment and economic advantages of CA and of its implementation in diferent areas of the World.

The slow pace of agricultural mechanization in Africa has long been a puzzle. This book begins to solve the puzzle by looking at the conditions in sub-Saharan Africa that have led to only sporadic use of the plow rather than the hand hoe, very limited use of tractors and even oxen, and the failure of many projects seeking to move directly from hand hoes to tractors. The authors interviewed farmers at fifty sites in ten countries. They found that the pace of mechanization has been slow in Africa because it often is not cost effective. Among the issues discussed in the book are : (a) the effect on yields of substituting plows for hoes; (b) the cost-effectiveness of using draft animals as opposed to tractors; (c) conditions under which tractors can be used more efficiently than oxen; and (d) the negative consequences of government interventions to encourage the use of tractors beyond what is economically justified.