The ewes from Weealla stud, Balladoran, are thought to be the first to go to Argentina from a NSW Merino stud.

Weealla stud co-principal Stuart McBurnie said the 12-month-old ewes, which averaged about 19-micron, were all destined for the one Argentinean stud.

Mr McBurnie said the Argentinean stud intended to flush the ewes for embryos then, through an embryo transfer program, use Australian Merino ram semen to breed pure Australian Merinos.

Weealla first exported a ram – the 2005 Australian supreme ram – to Argentina about seven years ago.

Mr McBurnie said that had made the stud the first stop for a group of Argentineans visiting Australia around the time of the National Merino Sheep Show and Sale at Dubbo last year, searching for Merino genetics.

“The supreme ram has performed well over there, having bred a grand champion and a supreme in Argentina, so they had heard about our sheep,” Mr McBurnie said.

President of the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders (AASMB) Tom Ashby, North Ashrose Merino stud, Gulnare, South Australia, was among the first to export two Poll Merino ewes to Chile in January 2011, after the embargo was lifted.

In January this year, another eight ewes were sent to Merino studs in Argentina, including another ewe from North Ashrose and five from Weealla.

Mr Ashby said a lot of the Argen-tinean flock was based on Australian genetics as they believed Australians were the world-leading Merino breeders.

“Argentina is very passionate about their Merino sheep and exporting a small number of our own can only help lift the quality of the world fibre,” he said.

AASMB executive director Edward Dugan said South America was the principal market for live Merino exporting.

While there were no official figures, Mr Dugan said usually about 10 rams a year were exported, however, in the recent shipment about 34 head were sold.

“Argentinean breeders are doing the same as Australian breeders; focusing on improving both the meat and wool characteristics of their sheep.”