Racial Classification in Water Rights: A Human Rights Violation
The racial classification for water rights is an attack on human rights, says Free State Agriculture. Both the Constitution and the South African Human Rights Commission (HRC) regard the right to water as a fundamental and basic human right. The…
Load shedding distorts meat prices
“Meat prices on shop shelves are rising drastically, while the weanling calf prices farmers receive are at a 5-year low”. Dr Jack Armour, commercial manager of Free State Agriculture (FSA), says weaner calf prices are currently 20% lower than a…
Final Public hearings on the Expropriation Bill
This week sees the public hearings of the Infrastructure Development Portfolio Comittee on the Expropriation Bill. OUR STANDPOINT We cannot support the inclusion of ‘nil compensation’. Today’s farmers are not solely responsible for historical events and cannot be required to…
Illegal hunting with dogs
Illegal hunting with dogs remains problematic in farming communities. Many farmers complain that this type of crime does not get the necessary response from the police. In many cases a trespassing complaint is not even opened by the police nor…
Private independent power supply is the only solution
“South Africa’s core infrastructure is collapsing and it will remain so if active citizens and private initiatives do not stand up and make things work themselves”. This was the message of Francois Wilken, President of Free State Agriculture (FSA), to…
More livestock thieves could lose their lives due to police absence, warns FSA
“More livestock thieves could lose their lives if the state security agencies do not fulfil their legal obligation in terms of the Constitution”, warns Mr Francois Wilken, president of Free State Agriculture (FSA). Wilken refers to the incident on 5…
2023 Young farmer winner seeks the positive in every situation
Free State Agriculture’s 2023 Young Farmer of the Year is an optimistic young farmer who believes in seeking the positive in every situation. Lukas Lessing (26) from Marquard was announced as the 27th winner of the competition on 18 April…
Expropriation Bill – Land will not feed people
South Africans are “hungry” for jobs, housing, effective policing, roads without potholes, affordable fuel and available electricity! This is the reaction of Friedl von Maltitz, vice-president of Free State Agriculture (FSA), to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s statement that the “Expropriation Act…
Load shedding: Loss of cell phone signals leads to more crime in rural areas
Higher levels of load shedding leads to more crime and losses in farming
communities. Free State Agriculture (FSA) conducted a survey amongst its members and these are the findings