Africans rising
Makerere University unveils multi-purpose tractor
Researchers at Makerere University’s Agricultural Research Institute, have unveiled a multi-purpose tractor dubbed MV Mulimi, which can pump water from depths of seven metres and thresh half a ton of maize. The tractor can also carry up to two tons of produce.
A Ugandan research team at Makerere University’s Agricultural Research Institute, one of the country’s top research units has unveiled a multi-purpose tractor, a laudable step in agricultural innovation on the continent.
The tractor dubbed MV Mulimi, which is designed to perform several purposes apart from the conventional ploughing and transporting of crops is expected to benefit farmers in Uganda and across Africa.
Unveiling the tractor, researchers said the tractor has five core functions, the Monitor reports.
The tractor can pump water from great depths and thresh half a ton of maize and it can also carry up to two tons of produce.
Some African countries lag behind in farm mechanisation Photo: African Business Magazine
According to head of the project Professor Noble Banadda, the tractor “has a pump, which can pump water from depths of up to seven metres to a radius of 33 metres. This will put an end to the water shortage woes faced by farmers as the water pumped by the tractor can be used for irrigation and can also be stored to be used in the drier seasons”.
MV Mulimi’s production is reported to have cost US$8,850 (prototype) and with additional features, the tractor could cost around US$5,560 in the open market.
The multi-purpose tractor is a welcome invention and it is expected to ease the burden of farming in a country and continent where mechanisation remains a neglected element of agricultural and rural development.
Source: The Monitor
