Third World tractors

[California]

Those pictures are genuine illustrations that you do the best you can with the equipment at hand. I regard most of those depictions as being pretty darn innovative. Surely beats the use of animals such as oxen and donkeys, although I suspect they are still widely used in the more impoverished areas.:tractor:

In India I took lots of photos of camel carts on the highways, oxcarts probably use for local delivery, and a couple of working elephants. I've cluttered this thread up enough, so I didn't want to post them. I also have a photo going past the Honda (Honda-Hero motorcycle) factory in Gurgaon (near New Delhi) which is in a modern business park, it could be anywhere in the world. Likewise the Ramen Noodle plant, a modern building with tractors and camel carts delivering the raw materials. There's lots of shiny new in the urban areas.

India is currently listed among the top three fastest emerging Countries. I don't remember the name of the region in India that has been an industrial base in India for several decades, but there are several models of John Deere tractors made in their plant there. That whole region is a vast industrial base. Perhaps in the near future, India's populace will not have to rely on the outdated agricultural equipment that some are currently using and making do with.

These photos are from 2004. We went over to visit our daughter who was studying in New Delhi as an exchange student. I can only imagine what the developed areas look like today. The new Delhi airport put in service about 2006 was badly needed, for example.

One thing we as Americans have a hard time understanding, that seemed to me to explain a lot, is that India is really dozens of cultures all living on top of one another with little interaction. Of interest to Westerners is that the middle class is now about the size of the US middle class but that's still a minority of the huge number of people there. Many of the tractors we saw had a laborer (or several) of an obviously different caste carried along to unload the trailer or whatever. I doubt the laborers would ever afford their own tractor. They may not even speak the same language as their employer. On the other hand some of those kids in the private school 'busses' may study engineering in the US.

India is fascinating. It has to be experienced, can't be explained.

I have tons more pictures in sets on our family website. Aside from the India photos, our other daughter did her semester abroad in South Africa. I'll look through her photos and see if some are ag-related. Calrec, in a quick glance through her photos I didn't see any tractors.

I won't clutter this thread with photos (well, maybe a few ) unless there is something that someone wants to see.

 

[creekbend]

re;California Please do not ever think that you are cluttering this thread with pictures or info. I, along with other TBN members, welcome the chance to learn facts about tractors that are unbeknown to us and the innovative ways that they are used. It also gives us some insight into the hardships that our forefathers faced when they first settled this vast Country of ours. And the various improvements that have occurred in the agriculture community. By showing us those pictures, we have the chance to view equipment that very few of us would have the chance to see otherwise. I, for one, doubt that I will ever get the chance to travel to India. We have in essence the chance to look through an open window that without your input, we would possibly never have the chance to view otherwise. Thank you.:thumbsup::tractor:

 

[calrec1]

In some of the remote expatriate farms in South Africa, one can see old steel wheeled steam tractors - usually rusting in their retirement.

I used to ride my motorcycle to the rural areas to photograph the culture.

Wish I had a photo of the American videos rented to hut dwelling Nationals who had to rent a small generator, VCR & small TV to watch Rambo!

 

[creekbend]

In some of the remote expatriate farms in South Africa, one can see old steel wheeled steam tractors - usually rusting in their retirement.

I used to ride my motorcycle to the rural areas to photograph the culture.

Wish I had a photo of the American videos rented to hut dwelling Nationals who had to rent a small generator, VCR & small TV to watch Rambo!

I bet that during your stay there, you had many intriguing experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. Especially the times while riding your motorcycle and seeing the country and its culture.

 

[calrec1]

Easy to get lost too, when you go off the main roads. People were nice and friendly to us Expatriates.

Learned the hard way that our American driver's licenses weren't legal.
British Commonwealth were ok. Around 20 missionaries had to hustle down to the police station and take their driving exam. (Drive on the Left, you know)

 

[aczlan]

Learned the hard way that our American driver's licenses weren't legal.
British Commonwealth were ok. Around 20 missionaries had to hustle down to the police station and take their driving exam. (Drive on the Left, you know)

I had to get an international license (through AAA IIRC) to drive in Argentina. Had to fedex copies of my US license and the form to them, they sent the license to my parents who sent it back with someone who was coming down to Rosario.

Aaron Z

 

[California]

I got a Venezuela drivers license when I lived there 40 years ago. The bureaucracy was incredible - take out an application after finally finding the obscure office, pay the fees at another place clear across town, then back to the first place. Both closed for hours mid-day. The examiner asked me "You started out at 16 driving on the California freeways? Like we see in the movies? Just take the multiple-choice test to prove you know the traffic laws. We don't need a behind-the-wheel test for you."

Creekbend - well if you insist - I'm easily persuaded. India is endlessly fascinating, as I said.

On the open highway

Used-tractor dealer

Better picture of a one-cylinder cabless farm truck

Waiting to load at the CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) refinery. Most home cooking is done using what we would call 'BBQ cylinders', delivered by bicycle vendors. Unless you're really poor, then you cook over a dried dung fire ring.

Oh heck I have too many pictures. I'll PM you the URL to the set. Anybody else interested? - please PM me.

Calrec - my older daughter said this was the most distant point she reached from Pietermaritzburg (University of Natal) after the end of her school year in South Africa. She and two other girls took off on a fantastic road trip. They went all over Southern Africa - Mozambique, Victoria Falls, across the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, Walvis Bay on the Atlantic coast of Namibia. She took this picture in NW Namibia at the Angola border.

Were you a missionary? I would enjoy seeing pictures of that too if you have some. Thanks for bringing this thread back to life!

 

[grsthegreat]

The way the USA is going, soon all of our tractors may be 3rd world units.

 

[calrec1]

Traveling via airports staffed by Uzi-toting security police and living outside the USA made us very thankful for our American freedoms.

It hurt me so much to see people disrespectful of the American flag and our National Anthem when we returned home in '89.

 

[zimbo]

In my experience around a bit of Africa, you can find almost anything. the commercial farmers use all the modern kit - Massey, John Deere, Same, NH McCormick Fendt, Claas, etc
There are a few Tafes, and Valtras
Recently we've started to get the Mahindras, Fotons etc
have a look at AGFACTS New Tractor Prices to get an idea of South africa

The smaller farmers use what ever they can get, normally Massey 135, 165 etc, Lot of old fords and fiats.

If they cant afford a tractor, farmers sometimes join a co-op which would have one ( Ive watched a guy on a 135 trying to pull a 4 blade disk plough in heavy soil)
If they cant hire one, they do it by hand, or occasionally with oxen

In Zimbabwe the "new farmers' took the tractors etc along with the farms, most of them are used as taxies, and hardly ever get to see a field! picture a 7000 seres John Deere, with a 3m, 1/2 tonne trailer driving through town.....