Assessment of animal traction in Francophone West Africa

Against a background discussion of the history and potential benefits of animal traction in the region, this report analyzes the effectiveness of draft animal technology (DAT) in improving the lot of small farmers by reviewing available literature and assessing 27 West African DAT projects. The results show the benefits to farmers to be sporadic and often falling well below expectations due partly to unrealistic estimates, but mostly to a lack of improved crop management strategies to complement DAT (i.e., soil conservation, crop rotation, and proper weeding techniques); a series of farm-level constraints (i.e., unavailability of land for farm expansion, onerous financial risks for farmers, and competing demands for labor); and a lack of adequate support services (i.e., production inputs, marketing, credit, veterinary services, and training). To improve the effectiveness of future DAT projects in West Africa, the authors make the following recommendations. (1) More applied research should be conducted to field test prototype technologies. (2) The tradeoffs between the use of oxen, donkeys, and horses and the choice of plowing versus minimum tillage should be considered. Animal-drawn weeding and the use of inexpensive weeding equipment like the groundnut lifter is encouraged. (3) Farmers" investment risks should be minimized by clarifying loan obligations, insuring animals and equipment, maintaining support systems, and establishing farm-size thresholds for loan repayment schedules. (4) A balanced cropping system should be implemented which reflects short-run needs for cash, food, and animal maintenance and long-term considerations of soil improvement and continuous land use. (5) Pilot projects should be implemented wherein farmers adopt new techniques sequentially rather than all at once. (6) Project activities should be systematically monitored and their impacts evaluated. (7) Research should be conducted on improved biochemical technology to support the mechanical aspects of DAT"s in increasing crop production. Appended are an inventory of the DAT projects reviewed and a 83-item bibliography (1961-80) in French and English.