Animal-drawn carts in Sudan
Case study
A simple donkey cart allows a Sudanese farmer to transport all his produce to market in one trip, saving packing costs and journey times.
Abdall Omer Saeedo, a farmer in the western Sudan province of Kebkabyia, had a major problem.
How could he take a sufficient quantity of vegetables and green fodder to the market 10km away to make enough money to cover production and packing costs, and also provide for the needs of his wife, three daughters, one son, his elderly mother and other dependent relatives?
He needed his donkey to carry at least ten sacks and five bags of produce to each of the twice-weekly markets. But Saeedo risked losing money if he could not sell enough of his agricultural produce at each market and unsold products had to be thrown away.
Facing a loss of up to 3,250 Sudanese Dinars (US $12) each time this happened, he became worried. He considered either moving to another area or selling his products inside his farm to wholesalers, which often meant receiving very low prices that might not cover production costs.
Saeedo approached Practical Action Sudan. Through the organisation's work on getting local metal workers to produce intermediate means of transport, a special design of donkey cart was produced for him.
The cart now enables him to transport all his produce to market in one trip, saving packing costs and journey times. Any unsold produce is simply returned in good condition to Saeedo's farm to be taken on the next market day or to another market.
A much happier man, Saeedo was able to earn not less that 15,000 Sudanese Dinars (US $56) each market day up to the end of the season, which lasts not less that three months after the rainy season. He can now pay for his children's school fees and other family needs.
