Free State Milk Producers Organisation (MPO) Chairperson Gideon Lamprecht says it is incredibly important for farmers to work together and learn lessons from each other in the face of what he says has been an incredibly difficult time for the industry.

“It is really not going well with our local producers here in the Free State and the purpose of this meeting is so that we can get together and talk about solutions on how to survive these trying times. What do we need to do as individuals and what do we need to do as a group?”

Challenges range from the drought and high feed and input costs, to low international prices and exchange rate volatility, among others, Free State producers in particular have also been hard hit by problems with certain buyers going under and not paying outstanding debts.

He says the meeting on May 4 will also be attended by the MPO’s Executive Director, Dr Chris van Dijk and is open to both members and non-members.

Meanwhile the organisation will then continue engaging with farmers in the province during its route meetings taking the form of Farmer’s Days on 10, 11 and 12 May:

“On 10 May we will be in jacobsdal on Mark Reuben’s farm, on the 11th we will be at Hansie Swanepoel near Bloemfontein in Dewetsdorp. Then on the 12th of May we are at Johan Chambers who is in the Vredefort area.”

Sabrina Dean/OFM News