Why Oxen remain Vital to Cuba's economy

[El Presidente]

 

A good read. Always surprises me when I see them .......and it shouldn't. 

 

http://cubajournal.co/why-ox-remain-vital-to-cubas-economy/

 

[PuffDaddie]

Until Cuba can get there act together oxen is the way to go.

[JR Kipling]

On the plus side, their skies aren't filled with China-like air pollution.


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[dvickery]

52 minutes ago, JR Kipling said:

On the plus side, their skies aren't filled with China-like air pollution.


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Uh ... have you been in Havana ??? I have never been to china but Havana gets pretty bad .

derrek

[JR Kipling]

26 minutes ago, dvickery said:

Uh ... have you been in Havana ??? I have never been to china but Havana gets pretty bad .

derrek

I've been to China, but not to Havana.....yet.

[stogieluver]

[jrusso14]

Uh ... have you been in Havana ??? I have never been to china but Havana gets pretty bad .

derrek

Ha nothing like getting in that first taxi after leaving the airport. Windows rolled down to take in the sights... Windows rolled back up after the first vehicle with thick plumes of smoke passes by

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[LGC]

Uh ... have you been in Havana ??? I have never been to china but Havana gets pretty bad .

derrek

I'm sure all the old vehicles have been retrofitted with fuel injection, O2 sensors, mass flow sensors, and catalytic converters

[Nino]

Having been to both Beijing and China and Havana and Cuba a few times, Havana has far less cars but ...Havana wins hands down :-)
 

 

[Ryan]

I've said this before but I think the oxen are great. Fuel shortages don't affect them. They've been bred for use in a tropical climate (I think the breed comes from the Philippines originally) and they can reproduce themselves (although not the poor chap in the picture!).

I'm lucky that I got to drive one once, on Hector Luis's neighbour's farm. His name was Palomo (the ox) and would take voice commands but I think he had a problem with my accent! (both the farmer and the ox).

The thing about oxen is, look at the picture below. That's a single-blade tilling type thing hooked up to the ox. It was used for weeding, after the seedlings are planted. Some of the seedlings that I hadn't yet trampled are still visible..

There's about 18 inches between the rows. Tyres can be put on tractors so they could make it down those gaps but they'd be so skinny they would compact the soil, not good for drainage or for the roots of seedlings that need to grow to 6 feet in three months.

Tractors would be great for Cuban farmers for all kinds of work but for now oxen do lots of tobacco-related jobs very well.

[Ryan]

On 2/14/2017 at 0:13 PM, Brandon said:

 

I'm sure all the old vehicles have been retrofitted with fuel injection, O2 sensors, mass flow sensors, and catalytic converters

 

I'm not so sure about that!

I have a theory, many of the cars I've been in have the exhaust leading directly to the interior. Thus no external emissions at all! Perfect!

I find I sometimes have to steady myself when I get out of a car though.