Free State Oil (Pty) Ltd (FSO)
The increase in soybean availability in South Africa has created an opportunity for the soybean processing industry to expand into the market share held by imports of soybean meal and oil. As part of this development, FSO was established in 2011 at a cost of R80 million.
FSO is a soybean processing facility in Villiers in the Free State, which started production in September 2012. Since then, FSO has been focussed on producing good quality soybean meal and oil. The facility currently has a capacity of 150 000 tons of soybeans per year, which offers soybean producers in the area a valuable outlet.
FSO supplies its products to multiple market segments such as home mixers and stock feed producers, which include the feed companies who also form part of the VKB group. This makes FSO an integral part of the value chain which ultimately places chicken meat on the consumer table.
The establishment of FSO provided incentive to farmers to further develop their crop rotation practices by increasing the demand for local soybeans. As a key role player in the agricultural value chain, FSO proudly contributes to the VKB Groups’ commitment to rural development.