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.
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.
Zimbabwe’s economic growth down to 2%
The African Development Bank (AfDB) revised Zimbabwe’s economic growth forecast for 2024 downward to 2%, a significant reduction of 1,6 percentage points from its previous projection.
Stud pays quarter of a million for 50% share in Brahman bull
The R250,000 paid for a 50% share in a Brahman bull named Buffel (JVZ20 321) by the Advantage Brahman Stud near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal makes sound economic sense, according to Jan van Zyl, owner of the Kroon Vee stud.
Malawi gets R412m grant from the African Development Fund
The African Development Fund (ADF) recently announced a R412,38 million grant to Malawi to help the country to reinforce agricultural productivity and climate resilience.
Zimbabwe’s Nkone cattle breed recovers from near extinction
Zimbabwe’s quintessential Nkone cattle breed is back from the brink of extinction, says Annelie Coleman. She spoke to George Hulme, a Nkone farmer and breeding society vice-chairperson, who jointly runs the Pungeni stud near Harare.
Agricultural sector’s adaptability praised at Nampo
Although the agricultural sector’s contribution to GDP is calculated at just under 3%, its extended impact on GDP stands at between 10% and 12%.
Nampo 2024 welcomes over 16 000 visitors on first day
Some 16 122 visitors attended the first day of Nampo Harvest Day 2024, held near Bothaville in the Free State yesterday. They arrived by, amongst others, 55 fixed winged planes and 13 helicopters.
Travel with the Mielie-Hop Shuttle to Nampo
Avoid the traffic congestion getting to Nampo by using the Mielie Hop – the easiest way to NAMPO and back!
R1,2m support for Eastern Cape’s black citrus growers
The R1,2 million support to black citrus growers in the Eastern Cape recently announced by the Citrus Growers Association’s Grower Development Company (CGA-GDC) and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is set to play a decisive role in helping them increase their access to global and local markets.
