Beast of burden as mode of transport in Jigawa

While the prehistoric system of transportation using beasts of burden, is fast going into extinction, in Jigawa State it still thrives  as one of the reliable alternative means of transportation. To own a beast of burden is still a source of social fulfillment in most localities in the state, as both rich and poor struggle […]

While the prehistoric system of transportation using beasts of burden, is fast going into extinction, in Jigawa State it still thrives  as one of the reliable alternative means of transportation. To own a beast of burden is still a source of social fulfillment in most localities in the state, as both rich and poor struggle to own one.
In Fanisau, a suburb of Dutse, the Jigawa state capital, the beast of burden is a common sight as every morning, particularly during the rainy season, all proud owners assemble  with their trained oxen, while pulling the carts for grazing in an open land.  Beasts of burden are not only used for transporting humans and their Luggages, but also serve as a good alternative to some modern day vehicles. Donkeys compete favorably in terms of patronage from the members of the public  with tipper vehicles, as they actively participate in transporting sand and other materials for the construction of houses in the state.  It is not unusual for a beast of burden to take center stage in an area that is an agrarian society, where other forms of economic activities are virtually non existent, and this, therefore made the entire economy of the state to solely depend on government. However, apart from being used for transportation, the beast of burden also aids in tilling the ground for the peasant farmers in the state.  The Oxen, who are trained to perform such tasks are affordable most often than not, and serve as a better alternative to a tractor, especially among the subsistence farmers that make up the bigger proportion of the farming population in the state. This category of farmers hardly access tractors that are usually made available by government on  a hiring basis, because of their poor financial capability. 
For 38 year old, Mohammed Isa Fanisau, life will forever remain incomplete without a beast of burden ,because he started using beasts of burden since  the tender age of seven, when he was going to the farm alongside his parents. According to him, with as low as N50,000 one can start the process of owning a beast of burden by buying the oxen before going for the construction of the cart ,which costs between N40,000 to N50,000 depending on the type that one needs.  Wood is  part of the materials that are used in constructing the body of the carts which are constructed on a scrapped rear axle of a vehicle with the help of carpenters. The cart could be constructed on both axles that is attached to  a gear box, and the one that is not. He said, it costs about N40,000 to construct a cart on an axle that is attached to gear box, while it costs about N50,000 to construct one on an axle without a gear box.  On why the cost differs, he said that the axle without an attached gearbox is lighter for the oxen to pull for any form of tasks, while on the other hand, the one with an attached gear box is heavier therefore, very difficult to be manoeuvred. Irrespective of size, Oxen meant to pull a cart or plough must undergo rigorous  training for a couple of months, hence, the reason for going for smaller oxen that cost less. The wisdom is that as they are growing older and stronger, they are also gaining the requisite training for all tasks expected of them without resistance.  Fanisau explained that in his community owning a beast of burden is not a luxury but a necessity, because what the beast of burden could do for him at the time when he needs transport most, a vehicle cannot render such services. This might sound  strange but that is the truth, he emphasized. On how a beast of burden could give better service than a vehicle, he said during the rainy season their farmlands particularly, those in the hinterland could not be easily accessed as the roads leading to such places usually become muddy and marshy ,and  therefore, impossible to be accessed by vehicles. Fanisau further argued that with the aid of the beast of burden, one could transport all agricultural inputs as well as outputs with little or no difficulty, considering the size and the light nature of the cart compared to vehicles.
“The age old plight of peasant farmers in the country, who have no access to tractors that are usually leased  out by government on hiring basis and other forms of modern equipments for tilling the land, compelled farmers to maintain the primitive way of farming.  “In the absence of any available alternative, we therefore, resort to the use of animals, such as oxen that could be easily secured with small cash at hand compared to the cost of a tractor. Oxen meant to serve such purposes are more often than not acquired while in their tender age. This indicated that with little money at hand one could own one, and if acquired at that tender age, it will also enable the owner to have sufficient time in training them for the needed purpose. “The training of oxen for pulling carts and ploughs are carried out with the aid of a big log, in most cases these are heavier than the weight of the cart, and the ploughs which are at the end will enable the oxen to pull the implements expected to be used. The training which could last for some months depending on the size and age of the oxen are usually performed twice daily,” Fanisau said.

Alhaji Yakubu Farin Wuta, is an indigene of the state who recently relocated from Saudi Arabia. He told this reporter that as a farmer and a rural dweller if you cannot own one  beast of burden, you will remain with numerous unaccomplished  farm and domestic tasks. Farming will be impossible without a beast of burden because it serves the purposes of transportation of Agricultural inputs and outputs, as well as farming tools. Farin Wuta said he has been away from the country for a long time but on returning he had to try hard and finally he owned one.  The need to own a beast of burden cuts across all strata of the society in his community as the rich and poor also own one. He said this is so because in his community they are all farmers, emphasizing that without possessing any, one is left to grapple with a lot of challenges.  He said, without owning one, such farmer will continue to live only on the  good will of others ,and could only access services when the owners must have been through with their tasks. This category of people are very few in his community ,and they hardly produce enough for themselves.  “Almost every family owns one. This is necessary because virtually all farming activites are done with the aid of  a beast of burden. So you can imagine the volume of challenges when a whole family doesn’t have any,” he said.  Also speaking to Daily Trust, Mohammed Sani, 16, said he has been with his beast of burden for the last six years, though it is owned by his parents.  On whether they do give it out on hire, Sani said sometimes they do but in most cases they only assist those that requested for such service saying, this had to be so because in their community, they are all interrelated.  It is less difficult to feed the Oxen during the rainy season than in the dry season, because  grasses are always available for grazing during the rainy season but in the dry season, particularly, those that failed  to preserve the post harvest farm remnants, feeding of the oxen could become difficult because it could  cost one as much as N100,000 before the rainy season sets in. “As you can see, during the rainy season we’ll all assemble in a particular place, where there is enough grass for the cattle. A full load of one trip made by a  beast of burden is enough to feed them for two days. “But our problem is that during the dry season period, if you did not store enough that will feed the Oxen for the whole season, you must be ready to spend money in buying food for them. To feed them for a complete season will cost one as much as N100,000,” he stated. 
According to him, irrespective of the size of the family, one beast of burden is enough to cater for all their  needs, saying, “where you notice the presence of two in a family there must be reason that necessitated that, otherwise one is enough for each family.”