Getting and keeping good workers is a challenge every farm owner or manager has to deal with on a day to day basis.
Good workers are hard to find, so when you get one, you have to do
everything possible to retain them.
Below are some tips on how to retain good workers on your farm.
1. Comfortable accommodation
Some farm owners provide better accommodation for their livestock
than for the workers who look after them. I have seen this in parts of Mukono,
Mbarara, Hoima and the central, true it is the livestock generating the money,
but without the workers to look after them properly, their productivity will
soon drop. So why dose a goat or cow even a pig sleep comfortably than the care
taker. Buy them good mattresses, blankets and make them eat their money well (farm
workers).
2. Good food
You would expect farm workers to have the best meals, since food is
produced cheaply on the farm; however this is not always the case.
Unless they steal some it is common for a worker on a poultry farm
to take a year without tasting an egg, as everything is taken to the market. As
a way of motivating them, farm workers should be allowed to enjoy some of the
food items produced on the farm or at least be allowed to buy them at a
discount. Imagine selling all the litters of milk, bunches of matooke. Give
them some as a token of appreciation. They won't even be tempted to steal from you
as some farmers cry of farm produce theft.
3. Entertainment
With the recent developments in technology, it is possible to
provide some form of entertainment to your farm workers without spending too
much.
A solar powered television set might seem to be too expensive, but
it will help stop workers from sneaking off to the nearest trading centre to
watch Premier League. Get for a few smart phones to keep track with u on
WhatsApp and also daily updates on how your farm is doing. Keep them updated
with things happening. Imagine a farm worker not even having a small torch
phone??? Bosses, don't be that mean.
4. Training
Organise regular training for your workers as a way of increasing
their skill levels while at the same time motivating them.
The cheapest way is to hire an expert in a particular field like me
in agro economics to carry out on site training for all workers. The other is
to sponsor a dedicated worker to go for a study tour, agricultural shows, agric
lessons etc. or go for driving lessons because at one time, may be they can
help u transport agric produce to the market.
5. Leave
Some farm owners make their farm workers be on farms year after
year, now this goes to you, don't you receive a leave where you work from? If you
get then treat these workers like you are treated where you work. Give them
some leave for 1 to 2 days off the farm and hire contract workers to cover that
day. Then give them a break off like on Sunday and encourage them to go to
church, if they are Moslems, allow them to go pray on Friday. This will help
them change their attitudes towards work.
6. Voice of command
The farm workers are also human beings. Don't treat or talk to them
like they are slaves at your ranch. Talk to them politely, call them by their
names. Do likewise, you, at least give them respect as they respect you. When
they annoy you, seat them down and tell them what's wrong politely. Don't boom
words as if you have a CD inserted in you. Be calm and handle them patiently...
Hope this shall help you succeed at your farms. You can contact us for proper farm worker
orientations.
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