Merino South Africa

Merino SA is the South African Agricultural organisation that represents South African Merino sheep breeders. Merino SA is also the South African official organisation for the management, representation, and communication of Merino industry. 

Established in 1937, Merino SA has been representing the industry for more than eighty years. The industry prides itself as a South African leader in wool and mutton production and Merino SA has a proud tradition of excellence and integrity. Merino SA is affiliated internationally and is a member of the World Federation of Merino Breeders.

Merinos are a dual-purpose breed of sheep, producing excellent top-quality medium to ultra-fine wool as well as mutton. The sheep thrive in a wide spectrum of grazing and climatic conditions.

As Merino produced extensively throughout South Africa, Merino SA has nine Merino regions in South Africa. The council members of Merino South Africa are chosen from each of these regions and each region has a representative that serves on the national board. The nine regions are situated in the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga provinces.

Merino SA represents an industry centred around the production of Merino sheep. The tradition of farming with Merino’s has a long- and well-established history in South Africa and the history of the introduction of this distinctive and excellent breed to South Africa is quite remarkable. 

This history stretched back as far as 1789, when the Dutch Government donated two Spanish Merino rams and four Spanish Merino ewes to Col. Jacob Gordon, the military commander at the Cape at that time, on an experimental basis. These sheep were initially the property of the King of Spain, who had the sole right to export Merinos.

However, the King sent several sheep from his famous Escoriale Merino Stud as a gift to the House of Orange. As the sheep did not thrive in the cold, wet Dutch climate, these sheep were sent to Col. Gordon in South Africa. Over the centuries, the flourishing South African Merino industry we have today started with those first six sheep.

Merino Sheep and Wool Production 

Merino sheep are a dual-purpose sheep, produced both for their wool and their meat. Declines in the demand and profitability over time have changed the focus of production. 

Over the past few decades, the focus of production has moved from mostly farming for wool to now mostly farming for meat.

This change in the ratio between the wool and meat prices made it necessary for farmers to adapt to the breeding methods and requirements of merino sheep. The purpose of these changes has been to achieve the most economically efficient type of merino to serve market demands.

These changes have been successful in improving the breed. During the past three decades, merino breeders have evolved the ‘modern Merino’ into an animal with a wool-to-meat ratio of about 30:70. Over the years farmers have adapted the sheep to market demands and environmental conditions.

The status of the breed has been described as bigger, plainer, hardier, more functionally efficient and more economically productive than ever before. The breed is also considered as the best dual-purpose sheep breed available today.

Over time scientific knowledge has also d a better understanding of sustainable grazing practices. Today merino stock farming is generally practiced according to holistic farming practices which include environmentally sustainable approaches.

Services of Merino SA

Merino SA offers a wide range of services to all stakeholders and members in the meat and wool industry. 

Merino SA has a Merino genetic improvement plan. This is a comprehensive, industry-wide programme that provides breeding programmes for the breed improve production and reproduction simultaneously. It also documents the physical statistics, breeding performance and bloodlines of individual specimens. The genetic improvement plan serves to continuously improve the Merino breed in South African through testing and identifying the top bloodlines and individual Merino ram sires within the country.

In addition to controlled tests, veld ram clubs and shows or measuring production, the industry also utilises Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) technology in their quest for genetic improvement of the breed.

Merino SA also compiles and manages a national sire ranking system that documents the performance of individual sires. In the quest for improvement of the breed, the industry also awards prizes to specimens within various categories at national shows. The national Merino Classic show provides breeders with the opportunity to showcase their best specimens. The show is held annually and the venue changes from region to region annually.

Merino SA also has a system of accredited advisors to assist members. Each of Merino SA’s nine regions has a list of qualified, accredited Merino advisors who are available for advice about breeding and farming with Merinos. Merino SA also publishes an annual Focus journal and publicises information about the annual auctions and other industry related events.

Membership Benefits of Merino SA

Merino sheep are by far the largest sheep breed in South Africa, with approximately 2500 merino farmers and more than 13 million merino sheep in South Africa.

Merino SA is funded by the membership fees of its members. Membership of Merino SA is voluntary.

The benefits of membership of Merino SA include cooperation with and access to the Merino genetic improvement plan. This sets the standard and benchmark for breeders to improve their breeding stock. Striving towards improving the breed increases the quality of the offspring of the prize rams and ewes and therefore the breed. 

The annual South African Classic show is an opportunity for breeders to show their best specimens and this contributes to the continuous improvement of the breed.

Merino SA members also have access to the accredited merino advisors who are available in all nine production regions in South Africa. The Merino SA website publishes the Focus journals, which contain useful articles about Merino production. 

Merino SA also publishes information about the auctions at various studs in South Africa. Merino SA is affiliated with the World Federation of Merino Breeders, which provides the South African merino industry with access to international trends in technology and information.