Many small-holder farmers would love to use tractors on their farms, but the price factor holds them back.
But there is there is hope. The Ministry of Agriculture through the Agriculture Development Corporation Kenya (ADC) has rolled out an affordable hand-pushed multipurpose tractor that can perform the work of three bulls (tilling job).
“This walking tractor was specifically designed for those farmers who want to enjoy the services of a tractor but cannot afford the big and pricey machines. With this invention, farmers can do away with tilling their land using donkeys and bulls,” explains ADC’s Ronnie Bosire.
Bosire explains that the machine costs Sh150,000 to Sh250,000 depending on the country of import and the engine size.
He says although that might seem expensive for some small holder farmers, it is affordable considering tractors cost as much as Sh1 million depending on the brand.
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The Ministry’s official says the technology was borrowed from China and Japan where mechanised agriculture is the order of the day.
“We have imported these machines from China. There was so much interest when we unveiled them, we made new orders early this year from Indonesia and Japan,” Mr Bosire says.
The machine has been designed with specific considerations to make work easier.
In case a farmer is working late into the night, there are head lights for visibility.
It also has a plough disc for tilling the farm (of different shapes depending on the nature of the work a farmer wishes to perform).
Other than tilling the land, small holder farmers can also use it to pump water to the farm. Given that it is fitted with a chaff cutter, it can also be used to cut animal feeds.
Additionally, it can also pull farm inputs and outputs of up to half a tonne when attached to a trolley. And it uses minimal fuel.
Efficiency
“With four to five litres diesel — given the local market price of diesel of Sh90 — one spends like 90*5=Sh450 on the job. Compare this to the price of tilling an acre of land which is Sh1,500 on the lower side,” he says.
Maintenance is simple.
“To boost efficiency, the brakes should be lubricated and adjusted. It should be kept clean so that it’s easy to spot damaged components and leaks. It’s also good to regularly check oil, fuel, water and tighten loose nuts tire pressure.”
And what are the downsides?
Jared Kiplimo from Nandi who has used it says he has noticed that when the sun is too hot, or when it is raining, the machine does not work at optimum.
At the same time, it requires careful maintenance and also produces exhaust of diesel fumes which can pollute the environment.
