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.
Halt in snake antivenom production causes concern
The production of snake antivenom in South Africa has seemingly come to a standstill. The situation is dire, as health practitioners and veterinarians, in particular, are finding it impossible to obtain it.
One person dead, over 100 livestock lost in Free State veld fires
One person succumbed to the extensive veld fires that recently swept through the Free State districts of Memel and Vrede, resulting in the loss of hundreds of head of livestock, with many more injured.
Meatmaster carcass wins Saai Lamb Champs competition
A Meatmaster carcass came out tops at the Lamb Champs braai championship held by the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) over the weekend of 28 September in Reitz in the Free State.
Farmers rally together to assist motorists stuck in heavy snowfall
Elzabe Rockman, the Free State MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, expressed her sincere appreciation for farmers who went out of their way to assist travellers who were left stranded on the roads during the recent heavy snowfalls in South Africa.
Botswana to comply with EU’s deforestation regulations
Beef exports from Botswana to the EU will in future depend largely on adherence to the EU’s Deforestation Regulation that will become effective on 1 January 2025.
Top tips for effectively managing a Bonsmara herd
Louis Steyl, CEO of the Bonsmara Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa, spoke to Annelie Coleman about the true value of effectively managing a Bonsmara herd in order to maximise profit.
Zimbabwe signs agreement to export avocados to China
The agreement recently concluded between Zimbabwe and China in terms of the exportation of avocados to China created a significant opportunity for Zimbabwe to take advantage of the vast Chinese market. This was according to Linda Nielsen, CEO of the Zimbabwean Horticultural Development Council (HDC).
Facial recognition technology: a new weapon against stock theft
Facial recognition technology is poised to revolutionise livestock management. Annelie Coleman spoke to experts about this Australian-developed technology and its potential to reshape livestock production in South Africa.
Namibia to cull game to feed drought victims
The Namibian government recently announced a plan to cull wild animals and to distribute the meat to food-insecure people because of the severe drought in the country.
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.
