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…
Free State Agriculture welcomes the support pledged to the agricultural sector this week by President Trump. According to Francois Wilken, President of Free State Agriculture, the organisation is encouraged that the US government has heeded the pleas of South African…
The Department of Labour and Employment has announced a 4.4% increase in the national minimum wage for farm workers effective 1 March 2025. The adjustment increases the minimum wage from R27.58 to R28.79, a decision that reflects the complex economic…
“Free State farmers are extremely disappointed with the price increase approved by NERSA for ESKOM”, says Francois Wilken, president of Free State Agriculture (FSA). “Even though it’s not the total increase that ESKOM requested, it’s still four times more than…
After months of anticipation, the Expropriation Act has been signed into law by President Ramaphosa, but Free State Agriculture (FSA) believes that the law will not pass the constitutional test. The organisation points out that the law’s definition of “expropriation…
By: Francois Wilken, Farmer & President of Free State Agriculture Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Or in the case of agriculture, one might ask: The farmer or the value chain? There is a misconception that the farmer…