Hardy, dual-purpose Dexters make sound business sense

Twenty years ago, Gauteng livestock producer Kobus van der Linde bought a handful of Dexter cattle as a hobby for his children. Today, Van der Linde’s 100-head Lundi Dexter stud is a profitable operation, and his sole business. Annelie Coleman visited him to find out why he concentrated on this remarkable breed.

- Annelie Coleman

FAST FACTS

According to breeder Kobus van der Linde, Dexters are hardy animals ideally suited to all of South Africa’s farming environments.

Demand for Dexter beef is increasing due to its exceptional quality, marbling and affordability.

The Dexter’s small size, easy temperament and excellent maternal ability are key characteristics of the breed.

The Dexter has become a viable dual-purpose cattle breed for South African farmers, according to Gauteng-based stud owner Kobus van der Linde. In fact, he enthuses, it is “a highly economical breed, which makes perfect financial sense”.

Van der Linde should know; an experienced commercial livestock producer who farms on Witfontein (120ha) near Bronkhorstspruit, he acquired his first Dexters 20 years ago as a hobby or ‘mini business’ for his children. It did not take long, however, before he and his family took note of the breed’s excellent carcass quality and outstanding milk production. So taken was Van der Linde by these qualities that he ended up focusing entirely on the breed, selling his other cattle and establishing his Lundi Dexter stud.

“The perception that Dexters are merely cute and fluffy has long been proven otherwise,” he says. “In South Africa, demand now far exceeds supply. My decision to switch to Dexters wasn’t based on emotion, but on simple economics.