Vrystaat Landbou (VL), a key agricultural organization in South Africa’s Free State province, has launched a survey to gauge whether its members support severing ties with the national body, AgriSA.

This follows years of mounting discontent among local farmers, culminating in formal requests to reconsider the affiliation. AgriSA has taken a strong pro-regime stance regarding land reform and the diplomatic tensions with the United States, sparking concerns among Afrikaners and the farming community as a whole.

On the 24th of February, VL released a strong critical statement denouncing the stance of the current administration for its racial discrimination and its threats to property rights, concluding:

“Ons sal alles in ons vermoë doen om eiendomsreg op landbougrond te beskerm. Alhoewel ons fokus tans op landbougrond is, glo ons dat hierdie kwessie ook ander sektore sal raak.”

[We will do everything in our power to protect property rights on agricultural land. We are currently focusing on agricultural land, but we believe this issue will also affect other sectors.]

The current national administration has maintained strong ties with certain agricultural representative groups like AgriSA, but has not been very tolerant of critics. At a recent trip to secure trade agreements in Germany, the Department of Agriculture digitally edited a press photograph to exclude Theo de Jager, the leader of the largest agricultural representative, SAAI, a staunch critic of the government’s tacit endorsement of ongoing land invasions, racial discrimination, and new reforms of property rights.

Members of VL had until Tuesday, February 25th, to respond to the survey. Francois Wilken, VL’s chairman, emphasized the significance of member input, given their substantial financial contributions to AgriSA’s coffers through affiliation fees, seeking a 2/3rds support from its members.

The survey, distributed via mobile phone, asked members two pivotal questions: whether they are satisfied with AgriSA’s advocacy on agricultural issues and if VL should maintain its affiliation with the organization. Wilken underscored the importance of an informed discussion at any potential congress, ensuring that a decision is taken with the long-term interests of Free State farmers in mind.

Gernie Botha, VL’s chief executive, reported substantial engagement with the survey but declined to disclose preliminary results. He acknowledged that some members and local farming associations are dissatisfied with AgriSA’s handling of agricultural matters, while others remain supportive.

The outcome of this internal reckoning could have broader implications for agricultural advocacy in South Africa, potentially signaling a shift in how regional farming groups engage with national bodies.

A previous press statement from the VL on the 23rd of February criticised the racial agitation propaganda from the national government, correcting the misleading focus on racial land ownership, pointing out that white farmers own only 21% of South Africa’s land, even though they manage 72% of productive agricultural land.

They have also emphasised that broader collaboration among farmers is essential to address these shared challenges. The crisis highlights the need for pragmatic policies to safeguard agriculture, economic stability, and international relations.

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