Gauteng Smallholder July 2016 | Page 35

ANIMAL TRACTION From page 31 contribute to the improvement of the soil through their manure. (The manure can also be used to make a seedfree manure “tea”). Tractors also contribute to air pollution (although to be fair, animals, through their rearend emissions, also contribute to greenhouse gases). Some small scale farmers actually use both tractors and animal traction in a complementary way. The tractors are used for the heavy work that would normally take a long time with draught animals, while the animals are used for activities which they can complete in a relatively short time at a considerably reduced operating cost. Animals kept for draught purposes can be easily trained if the correct procedures are followed. Animals to be trained should be properly selected and should not be younger than two years. The ancient skill of driving oxen is being preserved by certain heritageconscious farms in South Africa In many countries, notably in the Far East, but also Egypt, buffalo are favoured over oxen for cultivation. There are some challenges when it comes to using draught animals, however. Not many people know how to go about using animals for these purposes and there is no doubt that the traditional knowledge of using draught animals and driving is being lost. There is a lack of training in animal traction skills, both of potential agriculturalists and extension officers, and very little current research seems to be taking place. Much more emphasis was placed on the development of 33 www.sasmallholder.co.za animal traction in the decades leading up to the present century than is currently happening and many speculate that the idea of animal traction has fallen out of favour politically, being seen as “backward”. This is particularly true among young people, and needs to be overcome for the benefits to be recognised. To keep draught animals, smallholders need to have sufficient grazing, or they must be prepared to buy in fodder and concentrates, or Continued on page 34