CARABAO

The traction animal of choice in the Philippines is the carabao (domesticated water buffalo). Today we tried our hand at field preparation using carabao, hand tractors, hydrotillers and modern tractors with laser level capabilities.

That's me plowing a rice paddy behind a 3 year old water-buffalo... Preparing 1 hectare of land (almost 2.5 acres) by hand would take 1 farmer 160 days. Using a water buffalo and plow, the time required is reduced to 12 days.