Two-wheel tractors (2WT)

Subsistence farming in Tanzania is almost all done manually, hand- hoeing is back breaking work for women, along with the carriage of water to irrigate plots.

Conventional 4 wheel tractors are too complicated to maintain and are unsuitable for Tanzanian plot sizes.

Simple 2WT successfully mechanised farming in poorer South East Asian countries but to date there has been little introduction of 2WT into Tanzania due to lack of knowledge and poverty.

Early trials in Central Tanzania have proven that 2WT are suitable for agriculture and most villages will have someone with experience in 2 stroke motor bike repairs.

Simple implements can be pulled by the 2WT to enable ripping, ploughing and seeding, trailers can also be towed which can provide both transport and hauling of water and grain sacks etc. 2WT can also be used to thresh/mill grain and pump water.

We need to develop early trials into pilot 2WT projects where tractor units are available on a rental basis to farmers to prove the concept and test implements.

The result: Introducing 2WT units in Tanzania will advance the mechanisation of agriculture and free women from back breaking work.

A simple 2WT costs £3000.