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.
A second case of cattle poisoning reported in North West
Agri North West expressed its concern after a second incidence of livestock being wilfully poisoned, this time in the Tosca area of the province.
Senwes reports encouraging interim results
According to Christo van der Rheede, adjunct professor at the University of the Free State’s Business School, the interim results recently published by Senwes is testament to the resilience of the South African agribusiness sector and the far-sightedness of its leaders.
Namibia’s livestock industry excelled in third quarter of 2023
The Namibian meat industry recorded a top performance during the third quarter of 2023 in comparison with the third quarter of 2022.
Watch out for snakes this summer!
Summer is in full swing in South Africa with rising temperatures and rain showers. This make for ideal conditions for snakes to become more active, according to Johan Marais, CEO of the African Snakebite Institute.
Record price for Kalahari Red buck in Botswana
The Kalahari Red sire ‘Sta Soft’ (777-20-051), bred and sold by Bushra Stud in Botswana, recently fetched a record price of R165 000 (BWP120 000) at the annual Trifecta Elite Sale held at the National Agriculture Showground in Sebele.
SA’s Soil Science Society turns 70
The Soil Science Society of South Africa (SSSSA) celebrates its platinum jubilee this year, making it one of the oldest soil science societies in the world.
Boerperd breeder sets her sights ever higher
Liezelle Whitehead, award-winning SA Boerperd breeder from the eastern Free State, believes the Boerperd has a bright future as probably the most multi-purpose horse in the country. She describes the Boerperd as a genetic treasure trove in the equine world. Annelie Coleman reports.
New Grain SA CEO described as ‘ideal choice’
Grain SA chairperson Derek Mathews has welcomed the appointment of Dr Tobias Doyer as chief executive officer of the organisation, describing him as the ideal choice.
Namibian livestock producers propose Meatco split
Namibian livestock producers called on that country’s government to seriously consider the creation of two Meatco entities that would service producers north and south of Namibia’s veterinary cordon fence (VCF) as two independent subsidiaries.
Dexters survive for decades in national park
The relocation of a feral herd of 16 Dexters that lived in the Addo Elephant National Park’s Wilderness area has caught the attention of scientists after the South African Dexter Cattle Breeders’ Society became aware of the herd roaming in the park a few years ago. The society initiated the relocation of the animals to Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng.
Encouraging successes achieved in tackling stock theft
Free State Agriculture (FSA), in collaboration with LGV’s PSiRA-registered Private Stock Theft Investigators, has retrieved more than a million rands’ worth of livestock since FSA announced its Private Livestock Theft Investigators initiative four months ago. Fourteen arrests in six cases of stock theft followed.
Scientists shed light on cause of mass elephant deaths
The cause of elephant deaths in Zimbabwe and Botswana in 2020 has been revealed by scientists. The detection and presence Bisgaard taxon 45, an unnamed close relative of Pasteurella multocida in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, which covers Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, Zambia and Namibia, was of great concern.
Cotton, the ‘white gold’ of dryland crop production in SA
Cotton production in the North West has proved to be a viable alternative to maize and soya bean, with the profitability of cotton exceeding that of maize and soya bean despite extremely high input costs. Annelie Coleman attended a cotton information day in Schweizer-Reneke and compiled this report.
World-record price for SA Nguni bull
In a historic moment, the Nguni bull, T16 232, was recently sold for a world-record price of R570 000 at the Sentrale Nguni Club’s 29th auction held on the farm Middelwater near Bloemfontein.
Namibia introduces measures to safeguard pig imports
The Namibian Directorate of Veterinary Services recently issued a directive to that country’s pork importers, informing them about the change in import conditions for fresh frozen pork with regards to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (RPPS).
Hugenoot: SA’s beef cattle genetic treasure
The award-winning Koperkop Hugenoot stud has proved the breed’s economic value in the exacting farming conditions south of the Soutpansberg. Owners Henk and Gerda van Rensburg told Annelie Coleman how the breed fares in an area where animal diseases such as redwater, heartwater and anaplasmosis are rampant.
Zim clinches sweet citrus fruits export deal to China
Zimbabwe’s first citrus exports to China commenced after Zimbabwean citrus orchards and packing houses were given the green light for the exports in June this year.
Imports threaten sugar production in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Sugar Sales (ZSS) general manager Tracey Mutaviri recently painted a bleak picture of local sugar sales in a report to the members of the ZSS board.
Stockman School keeps on making a valuable contribution
The Livestock Registering Federation’s (LRF) annual Stockman School had over the past 15 years added immeasurable value to beef cattle production in Southern Africa, according to Johan Styger, LRF vice-chairman.
Attempt to achieve Guinness World Records’ longest braai
Gielie Basson, restauranteur from Calitzdorp in the Klein Karoo, tried to better the Guinness World Records’ record for non-stop braaiing, and spent 84 hours behind a grill over the Heritage Day long weekend.
