 | Better Farming Series 14 - Farming with Animal Power (FAO - INADES, 1977, 57 p.) |
 |  | Income from animal power |
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What animal power farming costs him:
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amortization |
3 600 francs |
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interest |
2 000 francs |
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Animals' food |
4 800 francs |
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upkeep of tools |
500 francs |
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Total |
10 900 francs |
· Gambara reckons what animal power farming brings in:
Before he used animal power Gambara earned:
|
for cotton |
26 francs X 300 kg |
7 800 francs |
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for food crops |
20 francs X 100 kg |
2 000 francs |
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for groundnuts |
15 francs X 200 kg |
3 000 francs |
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Total | |
12 800 francs |
With animal power, Gambara earns more money because he gets bigger yields:
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for cotton |
26 francs X 800 kg |
20 800 francs |
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for food crops |
20 francs X 400 kg |
8 000 francs |
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for groundnuts |
20 francs X 600 kg |
12 000 francs |
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Total | |
40 800 francs |
by using animal power Gambara has earned more, namely, 40 800 francs less 12 800 francs = 28 000 francs.
But Gambara has spent 10 800 francs for the costs of animal power farming.
So the animal power has brought in, has raised his income by 28 000 francs less 10 900 francs = 17 100 francs.
Before using animal power, you must work out how much more income you can earn by it.
For animal power to bring in more money, you must be able to farm 3 or 4 hectares of land and have, in addition, 2 hectares of fallow land to feed the oxen.
If the oxen work less than 100 days, they cost too much.
The amortization and the interest to be paid per working day are too costly.
Look at the example once more:
For amortization and interest on his oxen and tools, Gambara must pay 5 600 francs.
If the oxen work 100 days, amortization and interest cost him: 5 600 francs /100= 56 francs a day
If the oxen work 50 days, amortization and interest cost him: 5 600 francs /50= 112 francs a day
If a farmer has not got enough land to keep his oxen working, he can combine with other farmers, so as to give the oxen more work.
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