Annelie Coleman
Annelie Coleman represents Farmer’s Weekly in the Free State, North West and Northern Cape.
Agriculture is in her blood. She grew up on a maize farm in the Wesselsbron district where her brother is still continuing with the family business.
Annelie is passionate about the area she works in and calls it ‘God’s own country’. She’s particularly interested in beef cattle farming, especially with the indigenous African breeds.
Billboard campaign urges action on malnutrition and stunting
Politicians and businesses have been challenged via a new billboard campaign to close the food gap in South Africa. The campaign, which has been launched in Johannesburg and will soon be rolled out countrywide, makes use of 300 billboards demanding urgent action to make basic nutritious food more affordable.
The Afrikaner: equipped to beat climate change
The Afrikaner beef cattle breed’s outstanding plasticity enables it to perform optimally despite the negative consequences of climate change. Georgette Pyoos, a junior researcher in the Animal Breeding and Genetics Department at the Agricultural Research Council, spoke to Annelie Coleman about plasticity and its value.
US aid strengthens Zimbabwe’s food security
The US$8,7 million (about R169 million) that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently contributed to the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) in Zimbabwe came at a perilous time in that country, the WFP said in a statement.
Load-shedding adds to low producer beef prices
Free State Agriculture (FSA) has expressed serious concern about the impact of load-shedding on producer prices for red meat.
‘Veterinarians should be on critical skills list’
A potential crisis in animal health as well as food safety and security looms in South Africa because of a shortage of veterinarians in the country.
Mashona: small in stature, big in value
Zimbabwe’s indigenous Mashona cattle are renowned for their outstanding productivity and ability to survive under even the most extreme conditions. Maree Osborne, chairperson of the Mashona Cattle Society of Zimbabwe, spoke to Annelie Coleman about this remarkable breed of beef cattle.
Nampo: where farmers go to be in the know
Grain SA’s annual Nampo Harvest Day (16-19 May 2023) offers an incomparable opportunity for all players in the agricultural value chain to network, learn about cutting-edge agriculture technology, and do business. This was according to Grain SA chairperson Derek Mathews.
RPO welcomes new vaccine against bluetongue
The recent announcement by Design Biologix, a vaccine researcher, developer and manufacturer, that it has registered a bluetongue vaccine for South Africa has been welcomed by the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO).
Free State faces a difficult 2023 veld fire season
The 2023 veld fire season could potentially develop into one of the most problematic fire seasons in recent memory. According to a statement issued by the Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUFPA), one of the reasons for this was the abundant rain during the past three summers that resulted in a very high moribund biomass fuel load.
‘Government is failing SA’s agri sector’ – Agbiz
While the South African government was supposed to be the agriculture sector’s most important partner, it had failed in taking up its responsibility and had left the sector and the country as a whole despondent. This was according to Francois Strydom, chairperson of Agbiz.
Massive cockroach outbreak in South Africa
Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, CropLife South Africa’s (CropLife SA) operations and stewardship manager, issued a serious warning against the use of chemical products registered for agricultural purposes in an effort to mitigate the recent massive outbreak of German cockroaches in the country.
NWK spends millions on upgrading gravel roads
In the run-up to the 2022/23 summer grain harvesting season, agribusiness NWK recently commenced grading some 1 400km of gravel roads leading to its silos in North West.
A top Afrisim stud built with award-winning cows
The success of a beef cattle operation rests largely on the performance of its cows, says Dr Hentie van Rensburg, who bred the 2022 Agricultural Research Council National Best Elite Cow in the Afrisim category. He and his farming partner, Lourie van Pletzen, spoke to Annelie Coleman about their approach.
‘Fair compensation needed to mitigate crop damage caused by wildlife’
Small-scale crop farmers in the Zambezi region of Namibia recently called on the Namibian government to compensate them for the actual value of crops destroyed by wildlife such as elephants and hippos.
Severe drought in Namibia a cause for concern
A major part of Namibia is experiencing an acute drought, with the situation particularly serious south of the capital, Windhoek, with little or no rain received during the 2022/23 rainy season. According to Thinus Pretorius, chairperson of Namibia’s Livestock Producers’ Organisation, some parts south of Keetmanshoop had not received any rain.
Shortage of snake antivenom in South Africa a “major disaster”
The shortage of snakebite antivenom in South Africa was a source of serious concern as this threatened the lives of animals and humans, according to Johan Marais, CEO of the African Snakebite Institute.
Despite easing, Zim’s food price inflation remains highest in the world
Food price pressures that have beset Zimbabwe have persisted, giving the Southern African country the unenviable position of having the world’s worst inflation, despite some slight moderation, a recent report by the World Bank showed.
What feedlots expect in the ideal weaner
The South African feedlot industry produces about 75% of all beef eaten in the country. Annelie Coleman spoke to Lynette van Rooyen, group director at Sparta Beef, and Charles Mathewson, Sparta’s head of cattle procurement, about their company’s weaner requirements and how farmers can satisfy these.
Beware of deregistered stud breeders, says Namibian Meat Board
The Namibian Meat Board (NMB) recently issued a warning to livestock buyers in Namibia to beware of buying animals from stud breeders who have been deregistered and are no longer allowed to sell their animals as such.
‘Unity in SA’s grain production sector vital for the future’
The time had come for all role players in the South African grain production sector to re-evaluate their relevance and to co-operate in good faith. This was according to Derek Mathews, who was unanimously re-elected as chairperson of Grain SA (GSA) during the organisation’s 2023 congress.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
- ADVERTISEMENT -
MUST READS
- ADVERTISEMENT -
