A note to update you on the progress on the Tractors for Africa project!
We first began our discussions with farmers in Burkina Faso in the summer of 2014. Our friend, Justin Diabli manages a Cooperative of small farm holders there. From our discussions came the idea that older and smaller farm equipment could find a new and valued life in Africa. In Burkina Faso in particular, much of the fieldwork is done by hand and mechanization can lead to sustantial yield gains.
By the fall of 2014, we were scouting the barns of Southern Minnesota to find the right equipment. Not too tech, just solid. Previous posts have shown you our stuff, It is great!
As we made arrangements for the shipment in Spring 2015, we had some delays. There is a 45% import tax on farm equipment going into Burkina Faso! To get around this, we needed to align with a recognised NGO with tax exempt status. It did take a while but now we are working with 2 NGO’s that can offer this service and also provide transportation to it’s final destination; Fada N’Gourma. We now are aiming for mid September to have all our equipment and supplies in a 40 foot container that will remain in Burkina as a garage for our shiny tractor. Stay tuned!
