Afrino are a fine wool,
dual-purpose sheep.
During the late 1960s, a request
was made to the Department of Agriculture by the wool industry, via the South
African Agricultural Union, to develop a white-wooled breed for extensive sheep
grazing areas. In 1976, it was evident that the crossing of 25 percent Merino,
25 percent Ronderib Afrikaner, and 50 percent South African Mutton Merino best
fulfilled the requirements set for the new breed.
It was decided to retain only
this cross for further upgrading and development of the breed known today as
the Afrino. Eighty percent of the income from Afrino sheep is generated through
meat production and 20 percent through wool production. The Afrino produces
Merino-type wool, with a fiber diameter ranging from 19 to 22 microns.
About Afrino Sheep
