If government is looking for a model of passionate black farmers to inspire recipients of the land redistribution programme, it should look no further than Grain SA’s project.
Under the initiative, Grain SA, a grouping of mostly white commercial farmers, is helping black farmers who are willing to make a transition from subsistence to large scale commercial farming businesses.
Results indicate that indeed some black farmers are disputing the stereotype that they just want government handouts and are not prepared to “get their hands dirty”. They are now marketing their crops, Transform SA is told.
The initiative’s success has two sides to it – an organisation willing to sacrifice its resources in realising the objective of transforming the agricultural sector, and beneficiaries enthusiastic to go the extra mile in making the most of the invaluable opportunity.
