Difference between revisions of "Zebu cart"

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'''It's sunrise in Sambirano when a small traffic jam emerges on the bridge in Ambanja crossing the river, caused not by motor cars but by zebu carts moving slowly over the narrow bridge. The drivers and passengers of these traditional ox-powered vehicles are mostly farmers on their way to the central marketplace to sell their crops.'''
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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 sunrise in Sambirano and a small traffic jam has evolved at the bridge crossing, not by cars, but by zebu carts slowly crossing the narrow bridge in Ambanja. The drivers and passengers of these ox-powered vehicles, mostly farmers, started travelling in darkness to reach the central marketplace by the early morning hours to distribute their crops.'
 
 
 
 
 
By sunrise at the Sambirano crossing, a small traffic jam is caused by a convoy of zebu carts slowly rolling over the narrow bridge in Ambanja. The drivers of these ox-powered carts started their journey in the dark to reach the central marketplace in the early morning hours.
 
 
 
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, or charrettes à zebu as they are know, are common sights in and around Ambanja, the region, and across much of the country.
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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 produce charrettes in Ambanja. 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 around 50 charrettes 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.
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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_053.jpg|600px]]
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[[File:Zebu_cart_009.jpg|600px]]
  
A charrette takes about one week to build and costs 1,800,000 (USD 400).
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{| class="imageTable"
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|-
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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]]
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|align="right"|[[File:Zebu_cart_043.jpg|196px]]
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|-
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|}
  
[[File:Zebu_cart_009.jpg|600px]]
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<HTML5video type="youtube">G3unvlw5cJQ</HTML5video>
  
These charrette remains as practical and relevant among farmers today as they were hundreds of years ago.
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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]]
 +
|-
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|[[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]]
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|align="right"|[[File:Zebu_cart_038.jpg|196px]]
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|-
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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 countless farmers who keep the tradition alive deserve credit for protecting the environment by reducing the number of cars on the roads.
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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