Photo: Sabrina Dean
Free State Agriculture (FSA) is determined to give a voice to the province’s farmers, according to Francois Wilken, president of the organisation.
He emphasised this during the organisation’s special congress in Bloemfontein on 7 February.
Wilken said he would not be serving as president if he did not have a passion for agriculture, the FSA, and his fellow farmers.
“I’m going to open my heart this morning and speak to you as a farmer,” he said.
Wilken said that since taking over as president in October last year, he had attended several regional meetings and listened to what farmers were saying. He was concerned that they were losing faith in the organisation.
“They told me it felt as if they did not have a voice anymore and that we [FSA] were not hearing them,” he said, adding that this had to change.
New FSA CEO Gerhard Kriel told Farmer’s Weekly that the purpose of the special congress was to provide members with an opportunity to discuss and reassess decisions taken at congress last year. These included proposed Constitutional changes.
“Today we’ll allow specific discussion time to revisit the decision, to make sure that everybody is still on board,” he said at the congress.
Kriel emphasised the need to create awareness among the general public about the work done by farmers. “I want people out there to know, every day, where their food is coming from,” he said.
He shared his vision for the organisation, saying that its members should take the lead in making plans and creating initiatives that would have benefits beyond the province.
Wilken urged members to take responsibility for their farming businesses, and this included their safety. “Nobody is responsible for you. You are responsible for yourself,” he said.
He said that members could not be like spectators at a rugby game shouting solutions from the pavilion. They needed to come onto the field to be part of the game.
“Everyone needs to contribute to the future of the organisation and agriculture,” he said.
He also touched on safety and security, communication, and the greater challenges facing agriculture. He urged members to communicate what they wanted from the organisation.
“I want to assure you today: we will give this organisation back to the farmers, to its members. You show us the road we need to walk, and we’ll lead where necessary,” he said.
