Dexter cattle find their niche in regenerative farming systems

The Dexter cattle breed is proving its mettle as a regenerative farming tool in the Western Cape's intensive farming systems. Glenneis Kriel reports on advice given at a recent farmers' day.

- Glenneis Kriel

Dexter cattle are growing in demand in South Africa because of the excellent quality of their meat and good-quality milk with high butterfat and protein levels. In the Western Cape, however, Dexters are now also making inroads as the preferred cattle to use in regenerative farming systems.

Bennie Diedericks, soil scientist at Resalt, spoke at a recent farmers’ day held at Klipvlei to highlight the role of Dexter cattle in regenerative farming systems, saying that Dexters were great for use on wine and fruit farms because they were hardy and had a great temperament and excellent maternal qualities, making them easy to manage.

Dexters are also small- to medium-framed, which fits well with intensive farming systems and renders them less ‘frightening’ to farmers and farmworkers who are not used to cattle.

Diedericks said that meat, like wine, should be an expression of terroir. A big bonus is that Dexter cattle produce unique meat. The meat has exceptional marbling, is naturally succulent and tender, and should fetch a premium price if marketed correctly.

“If managed properly, the Dexters are not only a regenerative tool but can help to diversify the income generation of a farm. This is important as farmers are subjected to ever-increasing input costs. To be sustainable, you must be profitable,” Diedericks said.

Diedericks concluded that unlike organic farming where the focus was input-based, regenerative farming’s focus was outcome-based. This means that farmers measure themselves against set goals on what they achieve in terms of soil health, crop quality, water usage, improving biodiversity, reducing chemical inputs, and so forth.

“It is a journey of continuous learning and improvement,” Diedericks said.