Economic Growth and Animal Traction Development in Africa : An Empirical Analysis

Since the introduction of animal traction technologies(ATT) in many Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) countries, attempts to propagate its widespread use in the continent have suffered several setbacks. Many factors are responsible of this. However, developments in the African economies are believed to be a prominent factor. This study provides empirical evidence of the impact of economic growth on the performance of ATT-in Sub-Saharan Africa(SSa). The analysis uses 1971-1990 time-series data on ATT from botswana. The performance of ATT is measured on the basis of changes year covered under this study. The models used, are a regression model and a trend projection model. Although the regression model is representing a simplified view of the relationship between ATT and economic growth , it takes account of the influence of annual amounts of rainfall. It is concluded that economic growth has had a negative impact on the performance of ATT in Botwana. As the country's Gross Domestic Pro uct (GDP) steadily increased over the period of the analysis, the number of households using ATT declined at a rate of 2.5% per year. The impact of the GDP on ATT was directly associated with increases in the use of tractor, food imports and beef exports. The results have serious policy implications for agricultural development in many African countries that are not capable of sustaining their economic growth.