Fifteen small motorized tractors, two drilling machines and a portable welding unit are on their way from Manitoba to Africa as part of the Riding Tractor Project.
The machines were built by Interlake farmers for test marketing in Uganda and South Sudan, and officially shipped out April 14. The tractors were designed using accessible materials so they can continue to be produced in Kampala, Uganda, and sold to farmers across the continent.
Riverton’s Brian Dyck, Marquette’s Kurt Porteous and Inwood’s Cameron Kleinsasser spearheaded the initiative with a shared goal: to help combat hunger in Africa.
Dyck, who has travelled to both Uganda and South Sudan, said he’s seen the crisis firsthand. Many farmers still work with hand tools, limiting their production. He first visited Uganda in 2016, spending three months helping farmers develop sustainable practices and trialling prototypes for simple walking tractors. He’s since returned to Africa three more times, most recently in 2023 to South Sudan, each time introducing modernized farming equipment into local practices.
During one trip, war broke out and Dyck’s 450-acre project was looted, with all the equipment reduced to scrap. But he returned undeterred and began exploring ways to help farmers in the most economical, practical way possible.
“I discovered that in places like India, Bangkok and eastern Asia, people were repurposing motorcycle parts to create their own little tractors, and they were improving their agricultural output,” Dyck said.
With support from other farmers, Dyck turned his research into action. Production began in January 2025, with all 15 tractors built at K&E Welding, a shop owned by Porteous in Marquette.
The tractors are powered by 212cc motors from Princess Auto and built from mild steel, including box tubing, angle iron, round shafts and bushing materials. Each machine fits into a four-by-four-by-eight-foot frame and is described as “easy to use”—any simpler, and it would no longer be effective. Each tractor took about 70 hours to assemble and pack.
To fit them all in a 40-tonne shipping container, the tractors were disassembled. That left about five feet of space for other equipment, including a metal lathe, air compressor and various hand tools that will support ongoing production in Uganda.
The container will travel by truck to Winnipeg, then by train to Montreal before crossing the Atlantic. It’s expected to arrive in Uganda in early July, where Dyck, Kleinsasser, Porteous and other team members will meet with African farmers to train them on building and maintaining the tractors.
“We don’t want these people to be fully dependent on us, so assembly on their part is required,” Dyck said. “We made sure these tractors are easy to build and repair, and we’ll address long-term maintenance so farmers can keep using them effectively.”
Dyck said market interest is already strong, with farmers eager to put the tractors to use.
More than 600 volunteer hours from about 30 builders went into the project. Several Hutterite colonies donated materials and labour, including Keystone Colony, which provided painting services, while others that helped with steel cutting.
The project’s send-off was celebrated with a barbecue on April 2 at K&E Welding for volunteers and supporters. Dyck offered words of encouragement and thanks to those who helped bring his long-time vision to life.
As they monitor the shipment’s journey, the team is also seeking donations to help cover costs. The Riding Tractor Project has cost more than $95,000, covering supplies, labour and shipping.
Donations can be made through www.equipcanada.org/donate, with an option to direct funds specifically to Brian and Ruth Dyck’s work. To follow the project’s progress, Dyck also shares updates through his newsletter at www.appropriatetechnologies.ca.
