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.
Southern African weather conditions likely to improve
The largest part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region could expect normal to above-normal rainfall between October and December 2024, according to a recent statement by the 29th Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-29). The forum members met from 26 to 28 August in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Epigenetics: what it is and what it can do for livestock production
Epigenetics is an emerging area of research in livestock nutrition, genetics and breeding. Prof Michiel Scholtz, specialist researcher in applied animal breeding at the Agricultural Research Council, spoke to Annelie Coleman about its potential role in animal production.
Minister Banda calls for climate action
Speaking at the recent annual Kulumba Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa people of Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, held in Zambia, Malawian Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda said climate change posed a serious threat to his country and its people.
Senepol bull sold for a record price of R165 000
A Senepol bull, bred by Blackpool Senepol Stud in Cathcart, Eastern Cape, was sold for a South African record price of R165 000 for the breed.
Running a Meatmaster stud on just 65ha
Innovative Meatmaster breeder René Rossouw runs her 350-strong Jumike Meatmasters stud on only 65ha on the family farm, Alice, in Wesselsbron in the Free State. She spoke to Annelie Coleman about how she manages to effectively run her flock on such a small piece of land.
Zim’s latest land compensation offer draws criticism
The Zimbabwe government’s latest announcement regarding compensation for land lost by white farmers during the land reform process in the 2000s was nothing but propaganda, according to Saai chairperson Dr Theo de Jager.
UFS to open Faculty of Veterinary Science by 2027
Dr Lindi von Maltitz, an agricultural economist at the University of the Free State (UFS), has announced the decision to establish a Faculty of Veterinary Science. This announcement was made at the Free State Agriculture (FSA) Congress held in Bloemfontein.
Second desalination plant approved for Namibia
Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, recently announced that the government had authorised the construction of a second desalination plant.
Mastering the complexities of medical cannabis production
The production of medical cannabis calls for extreme attention to detail and precision, as well as compliance with intricate legislative requirements and official demands. It also calls for perseverance, as Annelie Coleman found out on a visit to medical cannabis producers Coenie and Ilse Venter near Viljoenskroon in the Free State.
Boer Goat stud sells two rams for R1 million each
It was a great achievement for the Lukas Burger Boer Goat Stud near Griekwastad in the Northern Cape to sell two rams for R1 million each on the same day.
Zimbabwe’s economic growth adjusted down to 2%
Zimbabwe's finance minister, Mthuli Ncube, announced a downward revision of the country's economic growth forecast for 2024 due to Southern Africa’s worst drought in decades, which has severely impacted crop yields.
Farmers urged to prepare for veld-fire season amid early outbreaks
Free State Agriculture (FSA) urged farmers and landowners to prepare in earnest for the coming veld-fire season. The first few notable fires of the season had already occurred in, among others, Bethlehem, Clarence and Wesselsbron.
BXB cattle breed ideal for Southern African beef production
The BXB, crossbred from Braunvieh and Brahman cattle, will add value to virtually any beef production concern in Southern Africa, according to Auroa Braunvieh owners Lourens and Henriette Le Grange, who pioneered the BXB in Namibia. They attribute this to the combination of both breeds’ outstanding traits.
In pictures: Farmers in dire need as Namibia faces severe drought
Namibia has been battling severe drought conditions since 2012, with the past few years proving especially dire. Although there have been occasional years of good rainfall, most have seen extreme dryness and minimal precipitation.
How an Eastern Cape miniature horse breeder built up his stud
Don’t be mistaken: the South African Miniature Horse is not a toy breed but a well-balanced, hardy animal, and if all reference to size were eliminated, would have the same conformational proportions than other full-sized light breeds.
Namibia minister issues groundwater warning
Namibia is experiencing a serious drought, with the lowest run-off recorded in the past 100 years. This is an indication that groundwater resources would become less reliable in future.
Botswana considers extra global grain imports
Botswana is seeking to import grains from international suppliers to supplement its supplies after this year’s devastating drought. According to a Bloomberg report, the country is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years.
Eskom’s latest plan to load farmers’ power bills slammed
Eskom’s latest plan to drastically elevate charges on fixed costs in the agriculture sector would only worsen the power utility company’s challenges and made no economic sense, Francois Wilken, Free State Agriculture (FSA) president, told Farmer’s Weekly.
South African Braunvieh set for global beef market success
The South African Braunvieh has all it takes to become a serious contender in the international red meat production arena, says Gawie Naudé, owner of the award-winning Eduan Braunvieh Stud near Rhodes in the Eastern Cape.
Namibia lifts ban on South African poultry imports
The Namibian Directorate of Veterinary Services lifted its ban on poultry meat imports from South Africa on 20 May 2024.
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