This is according to Free State Agriculture and the Red Meat Producers Organisation, RPO, who further concluded that these farmers receive little or no support from the police. The two organisations, along with other stakeholders as well as farmers, attended a stock theft imbizo in Qwaqwa. Nico Buys, chairperson of the RPO in the Free State, states that emerging farmers are dissatisfied with the service delivery of the police and also the stock theft unit. Complaints shared during the imbizo were about poor response time, poor attendance at crime scenes, little to no feedback on cases, and the fact that many criminals operate from Lesotho and are not arrested

Livestock owners and anti stock theft patrollers are urged to work with the police and to assist with information that will lead to the arrests of stock theft suspects. MEC for Agriculture and Land Reform in the Free State, Thembeni Nxangisa, who was part of an anti-stock theft imbizo in Qwaqwa, says the province has more than 100 000 units of stolen livestock, with almost 4 000 stock theft cases reported annually. He further warned livestock owners to refrain from hiring foreign nationals who do not have permits to work in the country. He says employing these individuals, presents a challenge when they commit a crime, as it is difficult to trace them.

The need to improve logistics and curb the deterioration of infrastructure remains a topical issue in South Africa's agricultural sector. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, says farming communities and agribusinesses might work to improve productivity on the farms, but the ultimate goal for some agricultural commodity producers is to reach export markets. OFM News' Elsabé Richard reports that achieving this is also to honour the various trade agreements that South Africa has with other countries and the efficiency of logistical infrastructure locally.

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Farmers and livestock animals are increasingly being attacked by wildlife in Botswana. According to Janine Ryan, managing editor of Farmer's Weekly, these attacks are largely due to the government there being unable to maintain the movement of dangerous animals in the wildlife management areas.

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