Comments on: Fuel, tractors and buffalos – some local views http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/07/15/fuel-tractors-and-buffalos-some-local-views/ New perspectives on mainland Southeast Asia Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:28:26 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kate G. http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/07/15/fuel-tractors-and-buffalos-some-local-views/comment-page-1/#comment-502198 Kate G. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:56:09 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/?p=2532#comment-502198 I found the references to special arrangements or kin/friendship ties in hiring someone to plow with their tractor or to hire a tractor from. Several years ago in northern Thailand, I was driving through a midlands valley where Thai farmers were harvesting rice and my Thai colleagues, all of whom studied agriculture but were certainly urban, lamented the bygone days when villages joined together in labor exchange, each farmer rewarding the day's labor with a feast. They spoke disparagingly of the ways in which exchange relationships had been monetized. It had become easier to pay off laborers without any any residual and on-going social obligations, but left the poorer farmers without the means to benefit from the exchange. Perhaps they were romanticizing; perhaps the use of 'iron buffalo' and paid labor has now settled into the prior text of Thai social relationships. So I guess I'm not surprised to see that people hire their relatives to plow their land, that they make special arrangement with friends, and so on. thanks much for this! I found the references to special arrangements or kin/friendship ties in hiring someone to plow with their tractor or to hire a tractor from. Several years ago in northern Thailand, I was driving through a midlands valley where Thai farmers were harvesting rice and my Thai colleagues, all of whom studied agriculture but were certainly urban, lamented the bygone days when villages joined together in labor exchange, each farmer rewarding the day’s labor with a feast. They spoke disparagingly of the ways in which exchange relationships had been monetized. It had become easier to pay off laborers without any any residual and on-going social obligations, but left the poorer farmers without the means to benefit from the exchange.
Perhaps they were romanticizing; perhaps the use of ‘iron buffalo’ and paid labor has now settled into the prior text of Thai social relationships. So I guess I’m not surprised to see that people hire their relatives to plow their land, that they make special arrangement with friends, and so on.
thanks much for this!

]]> By: Frank G Anderson http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2008/07/15/fuel-tractors-and-buffalos-some-local-views/comment-page-1/#comment-501773 Frank G Anderson Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:57:48 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/?p=2532#comment-501773 15 July 2008 Yes, buffaloes do like to "do their own thing." Many years ago here with the Peace Corps community development in Buriram, I was asked by local officials to build a grader to replace a Cat grader that had gone kaput and needed spare parts. foolishly I said yes, then went to work drawing up and then getting an estimate for a wooden sled that would have sand bags on top and be pulled by water buffalo. Went overbudget, but we got the thing done and put it on the road near the broken down Cat. The deputy governor was with me as we tied the sled to two water buffalo and got them to begin pulling it on the laterite road surface. For a moment it looked like things were fine, but suddenly the buffaloes bolted, one one way the other the other way! We all had a laugh but were thinking about the expense in having this new piece of equipment that did not serve its purpose. The deputy governor, though, was smart, and had a nearby tractor driver pull the tractor over and hook up the sled behind it. That worked great! We got the job done and roadwork taken care of, but I learned a bit about buffalo. 15 July 2008

Yes, buffaloes do like to “do their own thing.” Many years ago here with the Peace Corps community development in Buriram, I was asked by local officials to build a grader to replace a Cat grader that had gone kaput and needed spare parts. foolishly I said yes, then went to work drawing up and then getting an estimate for a wooden sled that would have sand bags on top and be pulled by water buffalo. Went overbudget, but we got the thing done and put it on the road near the broken down Cat.
The deputy governor was with me as we tied the sled to two water buffalo and got them to begin pulling it on the laterite road surface. For a moment it looked like things were fine, but suddenly the buffaloes bolted, one one way the other the other way! We all had a laugh but were thinking about the expense in having this new piece of equipment that did not serve its purpose. The deputy governor, though, was smart, and had a nearby tractor driver pull the tractor over and hook up the sled behind it. That worked great!
We got the job done and roadwork taken care of, but I learned a bit about buffalo.

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