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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.

‘Wild’ cattle – tough beef

Farmers have never considered cattle temperament a commercial problem, but new evidence shows stress-prone cattle gain less weight, have darker beef and are more likely to have unusable carcasses. Australia has even added temperament to the Breedplan EBVs to help farmers breed for docility, says Dr Heather Burrows, CEO of Australia's Cooperative Research Centre for Cattle and Beef Quality. Annelie Coleman reports.
Issue date: 01 May 2009

Mixed reactions as Lourie Bosman joins DA

The DA's announcement that previous Agri SA president Lourie Bosman has been earmarked to take over from agriculture spokesperson Dr Kraai van Niekerk has been met with mixed reaction.

Tigercat and Thule trailers

We take a look at a new forestry machine and Swedish trailer technology in SA
Issue date 9 January 2009

Red meat to remain under pressure

Gerhard Schutte, CEO of the Red Meat Producers' Organisation (RPO), said the pressure on red meat production profitability is expected to continue in 2009.
Issue date : 2-9 January 2009

Tough year ahead for grain farmers

Grain SA's CEO Dr Kobus Laubscher warned that grain producers are in for a tough time in 2009.
Issue date : 2-9 January 2009

Politicking will get worse before it gets better

With a split in the ANC and an alarming decline in agricultural production, ANC president Jacob Zuma and Mosiuoa Lekota, leader of the newly formed Congress of the People (COPE), wasted no time traversing the platteland wooing commercial farmers.
Issue date : 2 -9 January 2009

Economy should lift its head – Ernst Janovsky

Head of Absa's agribusiness division Ernst Janovsky is cautiously optimistic about the local agricultural economic outlook for 2009 and expects a slight increase in the demand for agricultural products in the new year.
Issue date : 2-9 January 2009

How profitable will 2009 be?

An overview of what the various farming sectors can expect in 2009

The importance of feed & livestock feed efficiency

Over the past 30 years the poultry and pork industries have made great strides towards improving feed utilisation, and thus efficiency of production, but the beef cattle industry has only made a few feeble attempts in that direction.

Potatoes heralded as secret to food security

"This day is part of the UN'S International Year of the Potato (IYP) - an opportunity to celebrate the potato as one of the world's undisputed champions of food security.
Issue date : 14 November 2008

Demand for animal protein to double

The demand for animal protein will double in the next 20 years, which means most of the meat supply will need to come from developing countries. So said Prof Herman van Schalkwyk, the dean of the Department of Agriculture at the University of the Free State
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Sharp decrease in expected harvest

It' s highly unlikely that more than 2 million tons of wheat will be harvested in South Africa this year, because conditions in the Free State, in particular, have deteriorated so dramatically since the last estimate
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Free State remains dry, but there have been good rains elsewhere

The Free State remains dry despite isolated showers of between 10mm and 30mm in the northeastern parts of the province, including the Reitz, Heilbron and Frankfort districts. The rest of the province is very dry, especially in the central parts.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Summer grain input costs could rule out profits

Price expectations in summer grain production areas are such that profits under the present conditions are virtually impossible said Neels Ferreira the chairperson of Grain SA. "The input cost inflation changed the risk farmers have to carry dramatically and in some cases, input costs per hectare are actually higher than the value of the land," he explained. "Given the sharp year-on-year increases, it now costs almost 80% more than last year to plant summer crops.
Issue Date: 31 October 2008

Free State better for meat as grain inputs soar

"The Free State cattle and sheep herds currently comprise 25,5% of the national herd, making it the province with the largest livestock numbers in the country," said Andre Ferreira, the Free State Red Meat Producers' Organisation (RPO) chairperson.
Issue date : 24 October 2008

EU open for SA game

"WE are relieved that the ban by the EU on game exports has been lifted, especially in light of the huge demand for venison in Western Europe," said president of Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA), Dr Gert Dry.

Free State fire damage down from 2007 figures

Approximately 140 000ha of land were destroyed by veld fires in the Free State this year - a marked decrease from the 387 000ha destroyed in 2007.
Issue date : 17 October 2008

‘Cautious optimism’ over Zim power share

South African agricultural leaders are cautiously optimistic about the power-sharing deal between Zimbabwean leaders.
Issue date : 26 September 2008

Grants causing social decay and work problems

"Government grants are destroying our people in the Northern Cape," Willem-Cobus Fourie from Groblershoop stated at the recent Cape congress in Kimberley.
Issue date : 12 September 2008

US sticks with organics despite lean times

While consumers in the UK are scaling down on the amount of organic products they buy because of rising living costs due to global food inflation, the organic food market in the US has attracted a fiercely loyal customer base.
Issue date : 12 September 2008

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Annelie Coleman