AGRICULTURAL NEWS - A commercial farmer in the Free State, Eddie Prinsloo (63), is empowering his farmworkers through a land ownership initiative in which he sold a 1 500ha farm to the government on condition that his farmworkers be joint owners of the farm.
Prinsloo is now in the process of helping seven male and two female farmworkers formalise a communal property association that will own the farm and also the sheep farming business being run on the land.
Currently, the farmworkers have a 49% shareholding in Donkerhoek Farming, while Prinsloo retains a 51% shareholding.
Prinsloo told Farmer’s Weekly that after five years the farmworkers would fully own and operate the sheep farming business.
“Some of these farmworkers worked for me for more than 20 or 30 years. They are excellent stockmen. What I am helping them with is developing their financial management and administration skills,” he said.
“We farmers should go ahead with empowering our people. Don’t wait for government to do it,” Prinsloo said.
