In southern Corrientes, the sheep are gradually disappearing: Roberto Surt is proud of the breed he raises, but he explains how the pro

Nowadays, it is rare to encounter a sheep breeder from Entre Ríos at the Rural Fair in Mercedes. “I am from northern Entre Ríos, between Chajarí and San Jaime,” clarifies Roberto Surt, while arranging some rams that are stealing all the attention. They are Ideal breed animals, a kind of genetic jewel that combines 70% Merino and 30% Lincoln, and which he defends as a standard bearer. “It is a very woolly breed, but it also has good meat. It is one of the breeds with the most mixed fat, it doesn’t get very greasy,” explains the breeder who has been in the business for over 50 years. In Corrientes, there is a process of regression of the sheep industry in recent times, primarily driven by the monumental growth of the wild boar population, which, according to locals, eats the lambs, sheep, and large rams, and even calves. But the growth of the deer population also plays against the production that once had much higher levels in the past. This is reflected in the auction that took ...