“One third into the government’s financial year and project funds are already depleted, leaving only enough to cover the Department’s bloated, top-heavy staffing structure.” This is according to Francois Wilken, President of Free State Agriculture (FSA), who says that despite…
Free State Agriculture (FSA) attended a consultation meeting with border farmers in the Wepener and Boesmanskop/Zastron areas on 29 September 2025 to discuss the rehabilitation of the RSA/Lesotho border road. The farmers unanimously objected to a passable border road. According…
Vrystaat Landbou (VL) strongly rejects President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent remarks in which he compared South Africa’s land reform efforts to Zimbabwe’s disastrous experiment. Such comparisons are not only misleading but dangerous. “Zimbabwe’s so-called land reform collapsed one of Africa’s most…
Free State Agriculture (FSA) has expressed concern about the ongoing problem of veld fires on farms along the RSA/Lesotho border, which are being deliberately set by people from Lesotho. In the past three days alone (14–16 July 2025), seven veld…
Free State Agriculture (FSA) notes with concern the confirmed outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Moqhaka Local Municipality, within the Kroonstad State Veterinary area. According to a statement issued by the National Department of Agriculture on 14 July, the…
The Clocolan Agricultural Society, local taxi associations, and business leaders have issued formal notice of the planned closure of the R708 between Clocolan and Marquard, in an effort to get urgent repairs done to this life-threatening road. This action follows…
Free State Agriculture’s Rural Safety Committee has taken serious note of the increasing incidents of illegal dog hunting, especially in areas of the Free State such as the Goudveld region. Large groups of people and dogs are unlawfully entering farms…
Free State Agriculture has made a submission to PSIRA on proposed amendments to the Private Security Industry, which include strict restrictions on firearm use and mandatory annual mental and physical assessments for security officers. According to FSA, these amendments will…
Biometric identification of animals will be used by Free State Agriculture to address livestock theft, through collaboration with ID-Scan. Free State Agriculture signed a memorandum of understanding with the chairman of the ID-Scan board, Bian Jooste, in Pretoria on 11…