Today, fashion designers and woolgrowers across the world continue to work alongside the best textile manufacturers to produce quality Merino wool apparel and connect consumers with its natural benefits. It was particularly well adapted to semiarid climates and to nomadic pasturing. No other country has such an efficient, transparent and highly developed wool marketing system; a trained and registered workforce of over 20,000 wool-classers who prepare clean white Merino wool for the world's processors; and objective laboratory test results attached to almost every bale of Merino wool exported. Facts about Merino Sheep 1: The Origin of Name It is believed an adaptation to the sheep of name of a Leonese official inspector (merino) over a merindad, who may also inspected sheep pastures. Wool has been used in clothing for millennia: from primitive man first clothing himself in the woolly skins of wild sheep through the civilisation of Babylonia where people first distinguished wool sheep from food sheep, through Roman times when there were definite signs of selective breeding for a superior fleece, and through to the ascendancy of wool during the Middle Ages in Europe. Merino sheep was first brought by Reverend Samuel Marsden in New Zealand in 1814 from Australia and by 20th century New Zealand had 14 million merino sheep population. Australia has the world's most advanced wool industry. Merino sheep originated in Spain Spain became noted for its fine wool and built up a fine wool monopoly between the 12th and 16th centuries. The modern Merino sheep were domesticated in Australia and New Zealand. Merino sheep developed in Spain and were highly prized for their fine wool. The Merino sheep introduced into Australia soon after settlement were able to produce a creamy fleece of 1 1/2 - 2 kg. The breed has become prominent in many countries worldwide. Australian wool is the first choice for many leading apparel designers and interior architects. By 1830 wool sheep farming in the Western and South Western Cape was already fairly well established. With all the different types forming the basis, the South African breeders have succeeded in developing typical Merino on a par with the best of the world. Copyright 2008-2020 www.merinosa.co.za. The next expansion was eastwards. If you like merino then buy baby and kids merino . In 1797, the first Merino sheep, derived from the famed Royal Merino Flocks of Spain, were introduced into Australia. In 1797, the first Merino sheep, derived from the famed Royal Merino Flocks of Spain, were introduced into Australia. Although these sheep had already evolved a fine fibre, further selective breeding by Australian farmers soon produced the authentic Australian Merino with its even finer wool. 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 Merinos, which have developed in the course of more than 200 years, form the backbone of South Africa’s Agricultural Industry. Merino SA serves as the mutual forum for registered and commercial Merino Breeders and acts as the planner and mouthpiece of all Merino affairs in South Africa. Merino, breed of fine-wool sheep originating in Spain; it was known as early as the 12th century and may have been a Moorish importation. If you'd like to find out more, please contact: From breaking down supply chains to travelling back to the source, brands are offering traceable collections, with Merino wool a common thread. As the Spanish Empire declined, however, these sheep were gifted or sold. In 1797, the first Merino sheep, derived from the famed Royal Merino Flocks of Spain, were introduced into Australia. It was originated in Spain and it is highly prized for it’s wool. each year. But wool's big fashion break came in the decade following the First World War when Coco Chanel reinvented the fashion rules and produced a dress from fine wool jersey. You will find Merino sheep in almost every district of South Africa. In 1834 the Great Trek started and the Voortrekkers took their sheep flocks northwards with them. or more of wool, and it is not unusual for commercial animals of this breed to produce up to 10 kg. Having been around and prized for its extremely fine wool for centuries the Merino sheep is a founding breed for many of the modern breeds found all around the world today. The Merino originated in Spain, introduced in the 12th century by a tribe of Arabic Moors called the Beni-Merines. In 1954, young designer Yves Saint Laurent won first and third prizes in the dress category of the International Wool Secretariat competition in Paris while a young Karl Lagerfeld won first prize in the coat category. These sheep were so valuable to the Spanish that prior to 1700 selling them was punishable by death. The Merino originated in Spain, introduced in the 12th century by a tribe of Arabic Moors called the Beni-Merines. Chinese designer and International Woolmark Prize alumnus BAN XIAOXUE has released a traceable knitwear collection for Fall/Winter 2019. MERINO SOUTH AFRICA. The first theory accepts that the breed was improved by later importation of Moroccan rams and the second acc… History: Merino sheep is an autochthonous breed but its rusticity has allowed it to be found on five continents reaching one of the most important ovine censuses in the world.. The Merino Sheep is a medium sized sheep breed and a very significant one in the sheep industry. Sheep were introduced by the Phoenicians from Asia Minor into North Africa. The three theories of the origins of the Merino breed in Spain are: the importation of Moroccan flocks in the 12th century, its origin and improvement in Extremadura, in southwestern Spain, in the 12th and 13th centuries and the selective crossbreedingof Spanish ewes with imported rams at several different periods, so that its characteristic fine wool was not fully developed until the 15th century or even later. Merino sheep originated in Spain Spain became noted for its fine wool and built up a fine wool monopoly between the 12th and 16th centuries. SINCE 1937. Most farms continue to be family owned and operated, with unique skills and a great sense of pride passing from generation to generation. Since then, wool has always been used in fashion. The word derives from the medieval latin maiorinus, a steward or head official of a village, from maior, meaning “greater”. The end of the Second World War heralded another fashion revolution called 'The New Look'. Within a few years the Merino had spread to all parts of the country. Launched by the House of Christian Dior, the style used excessive amounts of wool fabric in designs as a backlash against the rations and shortages of the war years. Australian farmers have made great advancements in Merino wool production over the past two hundred years, and today they are justifiably proud of their tradition of excellence.