Members of the Appropriate Scale Mechanization Consortium (ASMC) led the first hands-on training at their field training hub in Burkina Faso from September 5-16, 2016. It brought together smallholder farmers, local artisans and university students. The workshop was conducted by team members from Michigan State University in cooperation with Tillers International and was funded by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification.
In Burkina Faso, traditional yokes are still being used to team pairs of oxen. “These yokes are narrow, concentrating the pulling forces on a small area on the neck of the oxen, making long work days difficult and painful,” Elsa Kanner, Tillers International employee, said. Another problem facing farmers in this area is training. The animals are most receptive to training at a young age, but farmers are waiting until they are mature to begin the process. These factors combined make for uncooperative oxen, which require 2-3 workers to handle. The practice is, therefore, more labor intensive and expensive than it could be with improved training techniques and modern yokes. Continue reading “The Appropriate Scale Mechanization Consortium Kicks Off Field Hub Training with Workshop in Burkina Faso”
