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.
Reviving generations of Brangus genetics
Harrismith breeder Dr Elsie Campher’s Helpmekaar Brangus herd embodies generations of top-quality genetics. She says the stud, founded by her father, is a ‘priceless genetic treasure’.
SA farmers concerned about live cattle exports from Botswana
The South African Red Meat Producers' Organisation (RPO) has expressed serious concern about the announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture in Botswana that the country will be opening its borders to live cattle exports with immediate effect.
Southern Cape urgently needs follow-up rain – Grain SA
Winter grain producers in the Southern Cape urgently need follow-up rain to ensure a good 2019 winter grain harvest.
Agriculture performs poorly despite 3,1% GDP growth
Statistics South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) data for the second quarter of the year showed a growth of 3,1%, driven by mining, finance, trade and government services.
‘Civil servants lax to assist drought-stricken farmers’
Almost the entire western part of the Eastern Cape was being affected by devastating drought conditions that started five years ago, said Doug Stern, president of Agri Eastern Cape.
Wagyu beef has ‘unique fatty acid composition’
Wagyu beef is a “curve bender” in terms of fatty acid composition, and the breed has the ability to actually change the way fatty acids are manufactured in an animal’s body.
Namibia’s small-stock export scheme suspended
The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) recently welcomed a decision by the country’s authorities to fully suspend the small-stock marketing scheme to allow producers to export without restriction to South Africa.
Lion bone export quota ‘unlawful’ – High Court
The South African government will in future be legally obliged to consider animal welfare in all its wildlife conservation decisions, according to a judgment handed down by the Gauteng High Court on Tuesday.
Innovative event is a learning opportunity for breeders
Access to the latest information and the opportunuity to compare with peers are both crucial for the cattle breeder. This is what the Simmentaler/Simbra Hoogland Study Group aims to achieve for its members with its annual Young Bull Day.
Additional vehicles to combat crime in the Free State welcomed
Free State Agriculture (FSA) has welcomed the deployment of 48 additional vehicles made available by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to ensure rural safety in the province.
OVK increases turnover despite ‘challenging conditions’
The agribusiness, OVK Group, has announced an increase of 8, 55% in turnover for the 2018/2019 financial year compared with the previous year.
New system shows benefits of deep root irrigation
A locally developed irrigation system designed to transport water directly to plants’ roots and thus eliminate evaporation has achieved outstanding success in trials.
Police continue to illegally occupy lodge in Zimbabwe
The Bembezi Wildlife Conservancy and Portwe farming concern in Zimbabwe remained illegally occupied by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, despite claims by Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa that the country “was open for business”.
Optimism about state-subsidised crop insurance scheme
There is cautious optimism that a government-subsidised crop insurance scheme will materialise in the near future, according to Jannie de Villiers, CEO of Grain SA.
Indigenous crop seed bank for North West
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DARD) recently expanded its seed bank project to the North West. This was the third seed bank project in the country, with other sites located in Gumbu, Limpopo and Sterkspruit, Eastern Cape.
‘New tax can help SA agriculture reduce carbon emissions’
The Carbon Tax Act that was recently signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and came into effect on 1 June, could create opportunities for the local agriculture sector to invest in environmentally friendly practices and reduce its carbon footprint.
Carbon tax ‘bad news for farmers’
It is expected that the new carbon tax to be levied on fuel, coupled with the expected local diesel price increase, would result in diesel consumers paying 20c/l more from Wednesday.
Free State farmers urged to prepare for wildfire season
The Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUPA) has developed a fuel danger rating to ensure the most effective assessment and fire suppression and prevention operations possible in the province.
Drought devastates Namibia in first quarter of 2019
The devastating effect of the drought in Namibia is clearly illustrated in the Namibia Agricultural Union’s (NAU) first quarter review for 2019.
SA cannot afford ‘ostrich politics’ with land reform
Although land and land reform played a lesser role than expected in the recent election, these matters needed to be resolved urgently, according to Theo Venter, a political analyst from North-West University.
