The Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has escalated into a full-blown national crisis with severe consequences for South Africa’s agricultural trade, rural jobs and food security. Free State Agriculture (FSA) warns that the ongoing failure to contain outbreaks and ensure timely access…
Free State Agriculture (FSA), together with key players in the agricultural industry including the Southern Africa Agri-Initiative (SAAI) and Sakeliga, have initiated formal steps through their legal representative to break the state’s monopoly on the procurement and administration of foot-and-mouth…
“We must urgently break the state monopoly over the foot-and-mouth disease crisis so that vaccines can be placed in the hands of farmers immediately. Farmers must be allowed to vaccinate as quickly as possible to curb the uncontrolled spread of…
Free State Agriculture (FSA) expresses its shock over two farm attacks that took place in the Free State this past weekend. In the first incident, a 72-year-old female farmer, who farms alone in the Bultfontein area, was overtaken and assaulted…
Despite the best efforts of state veterinarians on the ground, leader farmers and commodity organizations urging their members to cooperate with the state and comply to regulations, the unprecedented spike in Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) cases over the festive…
As the festive season approaches, crime trends in the Free State — including farm attacks and other property-related offences — show signs of increasing. Free State Agriculture (FSA) urges all farmers to critically evaluate their security networks using the farmer…
“While job creation remains a national imperative, it cannot be the key performance indicator (KPI) for the maintenance of critical infrastructure,” says Francois Wilken, President of Free State Agriculture (FSA). Wilken adds, “If the provincial government were truly serious about…
Free State Agriculture (FSA) / Vrystaat Landbou notes with grave concern the escalating outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) across several regions of the Free State. According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s latest update on 23 October 2025,…
Free State Agriculture (FSA) has expressed concern about the increase in seed theft that has been occurring from farms in the Free State since September 2025. According to Dr Jane Buys, Safety Risk Analyst, areas that have already been targeted…