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.
Land Bank on the path to financial stability
Despite its recent financial troubles, Themba Rikhotso, CEO of the Land Bank, told Annelie Coleman the institution was on its way to recovery.
‘Legalise trade in rhino horn to save populations’
South Africa has to legalise the trade in rhino horn to save rhino populations from poaching, according to Pelham Jones, chairperson for the Private Rhino Owners’ Association.
SA Mutton Merino ram sets record-high price of R255 000
A new South African record price was recently achieved when R255 000 was paid for the SA Mutton Merino ram 1038 TOP. The sale of the ram underlined that demand for the breed was significantly on the rise, according to Jan Vosloo, president of the SA Mutton Merino Breeders’ Society of South Africa.
Carryover stocks ease concerns over Zambia’s lower maize crop
Zambia’s 2022/23 maize harvest is expected to be 25,2% lower than last year’s. The crop has been forecast at 2,7 million tons, compared with 3,62 million tons recorded in 2021/2022.
Agribusiness confidence sinks in second quarter
The latest Agbiz/IDC Agribusiness Confidence Index (ACI) shows that agribusiness has significant apprehension about business conditions in South Africa.
Zimbabwe sells record of 261 million kilograms of tobacco
Zimbabwe has recorded its best tobacco season yet on record, having sold at least 261 million kilograms so far in the 2023 marketing season.
US calls for 2023 AGOA summit to be moved away from South Africa
US lawmakers recently published an open letter in which they asked the White House to move the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Summit, scheduled to take place this year in November, away from South Africa, citing the latter country’s seemingly close relationship with Russia.
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.
