Difference between revisions of "Zebu cart"

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'''By sunrise at the Sambirano bridge, there is a traffic jam caused by a convoy of zebu carts slowly rolling across the narrow bridge. The drivers of these ox-powered carts would have started their journey in the dark to reach the central marketplace with their  fresh seasonal crops in the early morning hours.'''
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'''It's sunrise in Sambirano and a beautiful view from the bridge in Ambanja is unfolding. The valley towards the southeast and the island of Nosy Komba are visible in the distance to the northwest. A small traffic jam is forming on the narrow bridge, mostly made up of zebu carts rather than cars.'''
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It's early morning hours and the drivers of the ox-powered carts would have started in the dark. Just by sunrise at the crossing of the Sambirano bridge, there is rush hour and even a small traffic jam caused by carts slowly rolling across the narrow bridge on their way to the central marketplace to deliver their fresh seasonal crops from the countryside.'''
 
 
 
Early morning hours at the Sambirano crossing brings about a rush hour with ox-powered carts delivering fresh crops from the countryside to the central marketplace
 
 
 
It's early morning at the Sambirano crossing. As the sun rises, there's a rush hour with a bit of traffic jam building up. Not caused by motor cars, but by ox-powered carts slowly rolling across the narrow bridge on their way to deliver fresh crops from the countryside to the central marketplace.
 
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{| class="imageTable"
 
{| class="imageTable"
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|align="center"|[[File:Zebu_cart_030.jpg|196px]]
 
|align="center"|[[File:Zebu_cart_030.jpg|196px]]
 
|align="right"|[[File:Zebu_cart_024.jpg|196px]]
 
|align="right"|[[File:Zebu_cart_024.jpg|196px]]
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|-
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|[[File:Ambanja_053.jpg|196px]]
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|align="center"|[[File:Ambanja_055.jpg|196px]]
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|align="right"|[[File:Ambanja_057.jpg|196px]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
Zebu carts are common sights in and around Ambanja, the region, and across much of the island of Madagascar.
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The carts are filled with fresh crops brought in from the countryside by farmers who have been on the move since before dawn. They are heading into town to sell their goods at the fruits and vegetables markets.
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[[File:Zebu_cart_007.jpg|600px]]
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Zebu carts, Omby Sarety in Malagasy (''Aomby'' in northern dialect), are common sights in and around Ambanja and across the country. These zebu-led carts remain as practical and relevant among farmers today as they have since ancient times.
  
 
[[File:Zebu_cart_067.jpg|600px]]
 
[[File:Zebu_cart_067.jpg|600px]]
  
Dozens of workshops in Ambanja produce zebu carts. One such workshop in the town centre is run by Mr Theodore, <!-- 032 49 341 77)--> who with his team of six skilled carpenters builds and assembles about 50 carts per year, all manually crafted without the use of electrical power tools.
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Dozens of workshops produce carts in Ambanja. One of them is led by Mr Theodore, who, along with his team of six skilled carpenters, manually assembles around 50 carts per year without using motorised power tools.
  
 
{| class="imageTable"
 
{| class="imageTable"
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|}
 
|}
  
The design and model are always the same: A simple two-wheeler which easily attaches to one or more zebus. A cart takes about one week to make and costs 1,800,000 (USD 400).
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The design and model are always the same: A simple two-wheeler that easily attaches to one or more zebus. A cart takes about one week to build and costs 1,800,000 Ariary (about USD 400).
 +
 
 +
[[File:Zebu_cart_009.jpg|600px]]
  
[[File:Zebu_cart_053.jpg|600px]]
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{| class="imageTable"
 +
|-
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|colspan="3" | [[File:Zebu_cart_053.jpg|600px]]
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|-
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|[[File:Zebu_cart_034.jpg|196px]]
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|align="center"|[[File:Zebu_cart_047.jpg|196px]]
 +
|align="right"|[[File:Zebu_cart_043.jpg|196px]]
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|-
 +
|}
  
[[File:Zebu_cart_009.jpg|600px]]
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<HTML5video type="youtube">G3unvlw5cJQ</HTML5video>
  
The carts, or charettes as they are known, remain as practical and relevant as they were hundreds of years ago in providing indispensable transport to farmers in distributing their seasonal harvests to marketplaces without spending money on petrol.
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{| class="imageTable"
 +
|-
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|colspan="3" | [[File:Zebu_cart_014.jpg|600px]]
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|-
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|[[File:Zebu_cart_037.jpg|196px]]
 +
|align="center"|[[File:Zebu_cart_018.jpg|196px]]
 +
|align="right"|[[File:Zebu_cart_010.jpg|196px]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[File:Zebu_cart_016.jpg|196px]]
 +
|align="center"|[[File:Zebu_cart_019.jpg|196px]]
 +
|align="right"|[[File:Zebu_cart_033.jpg|196px]]
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|-
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|[[File:Zebu_cart_013.jpg|196px]]
 +
|align="center"|[[File:Zebu_cart_041.jpg|196px]]
 +
|align="right"|[[File:Zebu_cart_038.jpg|196px]]
 +
|-
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|colspan="3" | [[File:Sambirano_078.jpg|600px]]
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|-
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|}
  
[[File:Sambirano_078.jpg|600px]]
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The many Malagasy farmers deserve credit for their traditional and eco-friendly transportation, which by avoiding the use of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles helps keep the air and environment clean and fresh.
  
The innumerable farmers maintaining the tradition of these vehicles deserve a collective environmental lifestyle award for their achievement of keeping their carbon footprints close to zero.
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<HTML5video type="youtube">bVOxTPRDySo</HTML5video>
  
== Additional information ==
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Madagascar is a nation of mostly smallholder farmers. One goal of the original organic farming movement was to minimise the use of motorised farming tools, an aspect of agriculture in which Madagascar and its
 +
innumerable farmers remain far ahead of every developed nation.
  
 
View more [[Zebu cart photos]]
 
View more [[Zebu cart photos]]
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expertly and efficiently
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== Additional information ==
basic tools only
 
  
-->
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* Mr. Théodore: 032 49 341 77

Latest revision as of 12:03, 2 September 2024

It's sunrise in Sambirano and a beautiful view from the bridge in Ambanja is unfolding. The valley towards the southeast and the island of Nosy Komba are visible in the distance to the northwest. A small traffic jam is forming on the narrow bridge, mostly made up of zebu carts rather than cars.

Zebu cart 028.jpg
Zebu cart 032.jpg Zebu cart 030.jpg Zebu cart 024.jpg
Ambanja 053.jpg Ambanja 055.jpg Ambanja 057.jpg

The carts are filled with fresh crops brought in from the countryside by farmers who have been on the move since before dawn. They are heading into town to sell their goods at the fruits and vegetables markets.

Zebu cart 007.jpg

Zebu carts, Omby Sarety in Malagasy (Aomby in northern dialect), are common sights in and around Ambanja and across the country. These zebu-led carts remain as practical and relevant among farmers today as they have since ancient times.

Zebu cart 067.jpg

Dozens of workshops produce carts in Ambanja. One of them is led by Mr Theodore, who, along with his team of six skilled carpenters, manually assembles around 50 carts per year without using motorised power tools.

Zebu cart 065.jpg
Zebu cart 052.jpg Zebu cart 062.jpg Zebu cart 063.jpg
Zebu cart 064.jpg Zebu cart 069.jpg Zebu cart 072.jpg

The design and model are always the same: A simple two-wheeler that easily attaches to one or more zebus. A cart takes about one week to build and costs 1,800,000 Ariary (about USD 400).

Zebu cart 009.jpg

Zebu cart 053.jpg
Zebu cart 034.jpg Zebu cart 047.jpg Zebu cart 043.jpg

Zebu cart 014.jpg
Zebu cart 037.jpg Zebu cart 018.jpg Zebu cart 010.jpg
Zebu cart 016.jpg Zebu cart 019.jpg Zebu cart 033.jpg
Zebu cart 013.jpg Zebu cart 041.jpg Zebu cart 038.jpg
Sambirano 078.jpg

The many Malagasy farmers deserve credit for their traditional and eco-friendly transportation, which by avoiding the use of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles helps keep the air and environment clean and fresh.

Madagascar is a nation of mostly smallholder farmers. One goal of the original organic farming movement was to minimise the use of motorised farming tools, an aspect of agriculture in which Madagascar and its innumerable farmers remain far ahead of every developed nation.

View more Zebu cart photos

Additional information

  • Mr. Théodore: 032 49 341 77