A controversial shipment of New Zealand livestock has arrived in Mexico.

The Ministry for Primary Industries says 191 of 45,000 sheep were dead on arrival.

It says the sheep and 3200 cattle are now at a holding farm after being exported from Timaru more than two weeks ago.

MPI's Director Animal Products Matthew Stone said the mortality rate is good compared with Australia's live stock export record.

He said it "equates to a 0.42% mortality rate that fares very well against the 0.7% rate of Australia."

Matthew Stone said pregnant sheep and cattle will go straight to farms while the rest of the stock will first go to stud.

"They're on a holding property - from there the sheep will be scanned for pregnancy status. If they're not pregnant they will be mated and from there dispersed into breeding programmes."