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December 17, 2018Investment hopes for flystrike vaccine
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN – by Bob Garnant – “Cost-benefit research into sheep production looks to invest in a fly-strike vaccine which could revolutionise the industry. Australian Wool Innovation’s $2.5 million, four-year research investment into the Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina is an ambitious project targeting the annual $173 million in management and lost production.”
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AWI and MLA agree on Merino Lifetime Productivity data analysis terms
SHEEP CENTAL – by Terry Sim – “AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation and Meat & Livestock Australia have agreed on the terms to allow analysis of Merino Lifetime Productivity Project data for inclusion in the national genetic benchmarking service MERINOSELECT.”
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Reduced AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb offering sells well online
SHEEP CENTRAL – “MERINO ewes sold to $232, first cross ewes made to $237 and Merino wether lambs to $121 as buyers bid for a reduced AuctionsPlus offering last week.”
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WoolProducers offers Foot and Mouth Disease training course positions
SHEEP CENTRAL – “SHEEP and wool industry people are being urged to nominate for two fully-funded Foot and Mouth Disease training courses in Nepal in March next year.”
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Online AuctionsPlus Wool bale sales quiet last week
SHEEP CENTRAL – “WOOL sales were quiet on the online platform AuctionsPlus Wool last week, with 21 bales changing hands.”
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Ballarat ewe sale has labored after soaking rain.
STOCK & LAND – by Murray Arnel – “Despite widespread soaking rain across Victoria in the hours before demand for crossbred ewes remain steady at recent reduced rates at Ballarat on Friday.”
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Wool markets enjoy strong year despite drought
2GB 873AM – Rural News – “Wool markets have closed the year nearly 6 percent higher on 12 months ago. Prices hit record levels in the middle of the year as supply started to shrink because drought and demand remaining strong from overseas markets. Rural reporter Eddie Summerfield caught up with Wool Exchange Market Analyst Lionel Plunkett.”
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December 16, 2018Christmas bonus: Australia’s wool sales end 2018 strongly
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Bruce McLeish, Elders northern zone wool manager – “THE wool market enters the three-week Christmas recess on a firm note following a positive selling week where 46,000 bales were offered. Buyers made the most of the opportunity to secure quantities to keep processing machinery busy.”
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December 14, 2018Lamb survival a focus for researcher Amy Lockwood
FARM WEEKLY – by Mollie Tracey – “AMY Lockwood’s interest in agriculture and passion for lamb survival has led her to complete a PhD and join a sheep research team as a postdoctoral research fellow at Murdoch University.”
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Lamb definition change in the spotlight
STOCK & LAND – by Jamie-Lee Oldfield – “The average price for a trade lamb, 18 to 22 kilograms, sold through the saleyards in Australia for the year currently sits at 682 cents a kilogram carcase weight. For mutton with a very similar weight classification (18-24kg), it is 443c/kg. This equates to a 20kg lamb carcase returning $136.40 a head, and a 20kg mutton carcase returning $88.60, a difference of nearly $50.”
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Williams’ woollen wonders a snug fit for tourism
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN – by Bob Garnant – Countryman – “Williams woolgrowers have celebrated a woolly pre-Christmas season with the launch of the town’s newest concept store, which is stocked with farm-to-fashion woollen garments. Local woolgrowers gathered around a Christmas tree made of Merino wool at the Williams Woolshed last Tuesday night to mark the launch of the Williams Wool Store.”
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Australian wool prices finish higher in last 2018 sales
SHEEP CENTRAL – “AUSTRALIAN wool prices finished generally higher this week, in the final sale series for 2018 for a three-week recess, with strong buying from major traders, Chinese and European buyers and processors.”
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Wool forward market quiet despite higher bids into the New Year
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Michael Avery, Southern Aurora Markets partner – “IT was a quiet week on the forward wool market as buyers lifted levels into the New Year, but were unable to attract too much interest from the growers.”
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BEYOND THE BALE
AUSTRALIAN WOOL INNOVATION – December 2018 Issue of Beyond the Bale
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Weekly Price Reports
AUSTRALIAN WOOL INNOVATION – Wool market review – week ending 14 December 2018 (Week 24)
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December 13, 2018Beyond Australian wool, where are the sheep of the fashion industry?
THE MDS – Markets – by Silvia Riera – “Australia, which produces 88% of the wool consumed by the fashion industry, is suffering the consequences of an unprecedent drought that is severely affecting pastures…”
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Wyvern Station to host wool and sheep skills weekend + VIDEO
SHEEP CENTRAL – “ONE of Australia’s most progressive Merino breeding operations — Wyvern Station — will throw open its doors to young people at a training and mentoring weekend in February.”
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Young and old contest Bushy Hill Cut Out
STOCK & LAND – by Alastair Dowie – “The specially-crafted Bushy Hill Cut Out trophy was won by Western Australian-based youngster Ethan Harder. Still a teenager, Mr Harder put on a show for the large crowd who came to watch, defeating a quality field of shearers who competed for the prestigious trophy.”
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December 12, 2018Experienced director Colette Garnsey adds to depth of Seven West board
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN – by Ben Harvey – “Australian Wool Innovation chairwoman Colette Garnsey has joined the board of Seven West Media as a non-executive and independent director. Ms Garnsey, who is also a non-executive director of Flight Centre Travel Group, previously held senior roles at Pacific Brands and Premier Investments and was group general manager for David Jones.”
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Livestock traders warned of eID rule changes from Jan 1
STOCK & LAND – by Jamie-Lee Oldfield – “ELECTRONIC tagging requirements will increase for Victorian producers in the New Year as planned. Any sheep or goat born after January 1, and brought onto a Victorian property, will have to be tagged with a post-breeder electronic National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) tag before being sold on.”
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Woolgrowers offered free Woolmark licences
THE RURAL – by Kristen Frost – “Every Australian woolgrower has been offered a free Woolmark licence to use and a bale stencil to put Australian grown Merino wool on their bales. The incentive from Australian Wool Innovation stems from a drop in the number of Woolmark licensees. The Woolmark brand is the world’s best-known textile quality fibre brand and Woolmark certification allows licensees to use the Woolmark logo.”
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Tough year? Yes or no
THE RURAL – by Nikki Reynolds – “THE year 2018 will be remembered as a time of drought. But it was a year like no other in terms of prices. Just about all of the mainstay commodities either achieved a record price or climbed to high levels. “
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Weekly rainfall wrap + rain outlook, 12 Dec 2018
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Bureau of Meteorology – “Broad low pressure troughs produced moderate falls through Western Australia and northern and eastern Australia, while heavy falls were recorded in the north tropical Queensland coast after ex-tropical cyclone Owen crossed near Port Douglas.”
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‘Smart’ NSW sheep producers will use electronic identification tags – Vallance
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Terry Sim – ““SMART” New South Wales farmers who usually sell sheep and lambs into Victoria will be putting electronic ear tags in their livestock, Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock president Leonard Vallance said today.”
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Wool industry gets behind students
RURAL LIFE (NZ) – by Yvonne O’Hara – “Wool industry professionals and members of the Wool Industry Education Group (WIEG) will be working with and supporting training organisations to improve wool industry training qualifications during the next few months. New Zealand Wool Classers Association board member and WIEG facilitator Allan Frazer said the certificate in wool technology, level four, was for people working in the wool value chain sector, which is one of the qualifications being reviewed.”
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Breeds opposed each other in last week’s wool auctions
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Kristen Frost – “It was a tale of two wool types when breeds opposed each other in last week’s wool auctions as crossbred wool tapered and Merino fleeces rebounded. Merino lots recorded gains across most microns, but crossbred fleece values, after the extraordinary advancement the week prior week, fell by up to 130 cents, prompting some firm seller resistance.”
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Farm production down on earlier forecasts
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN – by Marnie Banger AAP – Countryman – “Australian farmers are expected to produce $58 billion worth of goods in the current financial year, marking a decline from earlier forecasts. But the latest prediction from the Federal Government’s agriculture forecaster ABARES for 2018-19 remains above the 10-year average of $56 billion.”
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There’s a new generation of shearers coming
ABC HEYWIRE – by Kurt Richards – “The morning sun cracks over the horizon, the light illuminating the vast paddock. I open the shed doors. The metal screeching alarms the sheep inside as they scatter to the furthest point of the dim shed. I sling my old, lifeless towel over my right shoulder as I grip my water bottle in my left hand.”
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Big plans for wool under Mount Fyans’ new owners
STOCK & LAND – by Alastair Dowie – “In a show of confidence in the wool industry, Moulamein, NSW, based woolgrowers Ian and Camilla Shippen have bought large-scale livestock property, Mount Fyans at Dundonnell. The Shippens purchased the 5900-hectare property in a deal worth approximately $37 million from Harmony Agriculture and Food Company (HAAFCO), which bought the property in 2016.”
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Fine wool prices finish 2018 where they started
THE WEEKLY TIMES – by Peter Somerville – “WOOL prices have come full circle for the finer grades, rounding out the calendar year at similar levels to where they started. Seventeen micron wool opened 2018 at 2562c/kg in Melbourne, dropping to 2363c/kg last month after peaking at 3006c/kg in August. The indicator finished at 2445c/kg last week.”
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December 11, 2018Ag doesn’t need another agriculture program
STOCK & LAND – by Dr Jo Newton, Youth Voices Leadership Team Chair – “In agriculture, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to leadership development and capacity building programs. I know of no other segment of the workforce which has access to the opportunities that we do. This is the case now, more than ever, with a spate of new leadership programs funded through the $5 million Leadership in Agricultural Industries Fund.”
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A power liquid fertiliser off the sheep’s back
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN – by Bob Garnant – “Wool, which has been under the nose of Australian farmers and industry since the late 1700s, is still being reinvented and now being considered as a value-adding fertiliser source. University of WA PhD chemistry graduate Ramiz Boulos shaved his head to come up with the process of dissolving hair into a liquid to transpose into a potent amino acid concentrate.”
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Drought impacts on national spring clip
FARM WEEKLY – by Mal Gill – “WOOL test data for November has confirmed the expected impact of the extended drought through New South Wales, northern Victoria and a large part of South Australia on the national spring clip.”
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Modest enquiry for wool on AuctionsPlus platform
SHEEP CENTRAL – “THERE was modest enquiry for wool on AuctionsPlus Wool last week as buyers sought superfine and ultrafine lines online.”
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Wool forward market opportunities available in volatile market
SHEEP CENTRAL – “THE volatile nature of the spot auction wool market was shown again last week, with the crossbreds giving back gains and the Merinos tightening slightly under short supply.”
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Australia cuts wool output forecast to at least 21-year low as dry weather bites
YAHOO FINANCE – REUTERS – by Colin Packham – “* 2018/19 production now seen at 385,000 tonnes – ABARES * New estimate 5 pct below previous * Lowest output since 1997, when official records began * Farmers forced to cull sheep after pastures wilted in drought Australia on Tuesday trimmed its forecast for wool production by nearly 5 percent as dry weather across the world’s largest producer of the fibre squeezes production to at least a 21-year low – the worst on record. Wool production during the 2018/19 season will total 385,000 tonnes, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) said, down from an estimate in September of 404,000 tonnes.”
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Dyed-in-the-wool Stonehenge couple reap fencing rewards
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Sally Cripps – “Peter and Diane Pidgeon describe their 13,350ha Stonehenge property as “just a mongrel sheep place” but in the 13 years they’ve owned Glenroy, it and Merino sheep have seen them through some pretty tough seasons. It might have been a minor player in wool’s heyday, situated in the thick gidyea, top rock and Thomson River flood-out country south of the Mitchell grass plains that some of Longreach’s big wool incomes were made from, but it’s part of the sheep and wool comeback poised to happen in western Queensland.”
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Lamb and wool prices expected to hold high during rest of 2018-19
SHEEP CENTRAL – “LAMB and wool prices are expected to maintain higher levels throughout 2018-19 due to supply constraints, the latest Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics and Sciences’ commodities Report said today.”
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Inspirational focus in driving NZ wool business honoured
RURAL LIFE – by Sally Rae – “Dave Maslen is a reluctant sustainability superstar. The New Zealand Merino Co’s general manager for markets and sustainability was a finalist in the sustainability superstar category in the recent NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards. The category, won by Waikato dairy farmer Tracy Brown, celebrated people who inspired and led others to make a difference.”
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Selective breeding: Cross-bred Ramghani sheep caters to wool demand
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE (PAKISTAN) – by APP – “PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Livestock and Dairy Development Department have developed a new sheep breed Ramghani to fulfil high demand of wool for the woollen garment sector.”
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Aussies cut wool output as dry weather bites
RURAL LIFE (NZ) – “Australia has trimmed its forecast for wool production by nearly 5% as dry weather across the world’s largest producer of the fibre squeezes production to at least a 21-year low – the worst on record. Wool production during the 2018/19 season will total 385,000 tonnes, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) said on Tuesday, down from an estimate in September of 404,000 tonnes.”
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Wool growers now able to use Woolmark brand on their bales
THE WEEKLY TIMES – by Nicola Bell – “WOOL growers will now be able to use the Woolmark brand to stamp their wool bales. The Woolmark brand is “the world’s best-known textile quality fibre brand” and Woolmark certification allows licensees to use the Woolmark logo. Up until now the Woolmark brand has solely been a quality assurance scheme for both manufacturers and the consumers.”
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December 10, 2018Scattered storms will make way for more rainfall later this week
STOCK & LAND – by Alastair Dowie – “Widespread rain is forecast across an extensive area of the eastern seaboard later this week as multiple weather systems develop. The forecast comes after the north tropical coast of Queensland received up to 349 millimetres of rain in the 24 hours to 9am Monday with many totals of around 250mm.”
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Australia cuts wool output forecast to at least 21-year low
ENCA.COM – “SYDNEY – Australia trimmed its forecast for wool production by nearly 5 percent as dry weather across the world’s largest producer of the fibre squeezes production to at least a 21-year low — the worst on record. Wool production during the 2018/19 season will total 385,000 tonnes, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) said, down from an estimate in September of 404,000 tonnes.”
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Wool Report – 10/12/18:Merinos make gains across most microns
WESTERN MAGAZINE – by Natalie Lyons – “Week Commencing 10/12/18 Week 23 saw a slight drop of 11 cents to the Eastern Market Indicator, finishing the week at 1,849c/kg. There was a national offering of 38,315 bales and a pass rate of 10.3 per cent. The merinos made gains across most microns with some gaps seen with inferior type wools.”
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Select WA wool for new luxury brand
FARM WEEKLY – “A SMALL selection of wool from an increasing number of WA growers is set to be used for a new luxury wool brand as part of an arrangement brokered by the export division of growing local agribusiness, Westcoast Wool & Livestock.”
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Australian wool sales close on a strong note
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Bruce McLeish, Elders northern zone wool manager – “AFTER a brief flurry of confidence brought about by the G20 agreement to halt the trade war and further tariff increases, doubts began to creep in concerning the actual agreement that had been reached and whether this would bring about lasting compromise.”
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Southern buyers dominate bidding for bigger AuctionsPlus offering
SHEEP CENTRAL – “SOUTHERN buyers dominated the bidding in online sheep and lamb sales last week, as rain increased demand for a bigger AuctionsPlus offering.”
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Wool growers present new baggy green cap fabric for Aussie cricketers
SHEEP CENTRAL – “WOOL growers have handed the Australian cricket team enough woollen cloth to make the prized baggy green caps for the next 100 years.”
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Riverina woolgrowers purchase iconic Mount Fyans
STOCK & LAND – “In a show of confidence in the wool industry, Moulamein, NSW, based woolgrowers Ian and Camilla Shippen exchanged contracts on the large scale livestock property Mount Fyans at Dundonnell. Ian Shippen said it had been a long held ambition of his to operate a large-scale wether enterprise.”
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December 7, 2018
Weekly Price Reports
AUSTRALIAN WOOL INNOVATION – Wool market review – week ending 7 December 2018 (Week 23)
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Merino sector strong despite slight market dip
STOCK & LAND – by Joely Mitchell – In the second last week of sales for the year, the Australian wool market dipped slightly on the previous week. The Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) closed week 23 at 1849 cents a kilogram, an 11c/kg dip on the week prior.”
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WorkSafe launches new quad bike safety videos
WORKSAFE VICTORIA – “WorkSafe Victoria has launched eight new quad bike safety videos to help workplaces identify hazards and control risks related to quad bike use. Making it easy for workplaces to access resources in the field, the videos, along with WorkSafe’s written guidance is now also available on the new quad bikes safety app. Material on the app can be viewed offline in areas where there is limited line speed.”
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Crossbred sector plummets
TOWN & COUNTRY – “Elders Season 18 – Week 23 Source: Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) Week 23 on the Australian wool selling program hosted the penultimate sale of the 2018 calendar year. The quantity on offer increased slightly and 38,315 bales were available to the trade. This means the amount of wool offered so far this year, is 162,043 bales less than at the same point in the previous season, a reduction of more than 18 per cent.”
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Merino wool prices lift as crossbred values bomb
SHEEP CENTRAL – “AUSTRALIAN Merino wool prices rebounded this week, but crossbred fleece values fell by up to 130 cents, prompting seller resistance.”
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December 6, 2018Ewe flock heads for obscurity
STOCK & LAND – by Murray Arnel – “Australia’s sheep breeding flock could be headed down a slippery slope below 40 million head for the first time in recent history. This was the realisation made by some members of the lamb forecasting advisory committee, following the release of raw data captured in the most recent quarterly survey of sheep breeders’ intentions, conducted by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation.”
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Severe fire danger warning issued for north-west Victoria
STOCK & LAND – by Andrew Miller – “The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted north-west Victoria will experience severe fire danger tomorrow (Friday). Weather Bureau senior meteorologist Chris Godfred said a strong northerly was bringing hot air from the interior of the continent.”
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Big prices for top class first-cross ewes
FARM WEEKLY – by Kristen Frost – “Better presented first-cross ewes are making big money through the saleyards in the east of Australia, but seasonal conditions are playing havoc with younger lines and prices. And according to agents, it’s only the tip of the iceberg, primarily in NSW, with prices expected to rise and numbers decline dramatically in 2019.”
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Penultimate wool sales this week
FARM WEEKLY – “THE strong positive movement experienced in the previous week’s sale could not be sustained last week in selling Week 22. The quantity on offer was 34,513 bales meaning the national offering is now down by 18 per cent when compared to the corresponding sale of the previous season. The Merino fleece sector failed to attract the same amount of support that it enjoyed during the previous week’s sale.”
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Flystrike vaccine targeting sheep blowfly $2.5m closer to reality
THE WEEKLY TIMES – “RESEARCH into the development of a flystrike vaccine targeting the Australian sheep blowfly has been given a $2.5 million boost. Australian Wool Innovation has announced the four-year investment in collaboration with the University of Melbourne and the CSIRO.”
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December 5, 2018Farmers and police build trust to deter rural crime, with many offences going under-reported
ABC RURAL – NSW Country Hour by Lara Webster – “Many farmers are not reporting crimes on their properties because they believe the perpetrators will not be caught, a study shows. The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) recently surveyed 700 farmers and found that only 30 per cent of farmers reported crimes — like illegal hunting — on their properties. The DPI’s Game Licensing Unit has been working with New South Wales police to detect and deter illegal hunting.”
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New legume variety launched to fill sheep feed-gap
STOCK & LAND – “A new variety of a forage legume that can significantly reduce supplementary feeding of sheep in summer and autumn and boost on-farm productivity has been officially launched in Western Australia today. The drought-tolerant perennial legume is the first cultivar of tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa var albomarginata) to be bred for Australian conditions.”
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Woollen surfboards catch a wave
OTAGO DAILY TIMES – by Sally Rae – “Sheep are traditionally associated with turf, not surf. But that is set to change with the development of new wool composite technology which has been developed to create the world’s first wool surfboard. Tauranga surfboard maker Paul Barron teamed up with the New Zealand Merino Company to develop the technology, and US-based Firewire Surfboards, which designs and manufactures the Woolight range of surfboards.”
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Weekly rainfall wrap + rain outlook, 5 Dec 2018
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Bureau of Meteorology – “BROAD low pressure troughs produced moderate falls in northern and central Australia, while a deep low pressure system off the New South Wales coast produced locally heavy falls in Sydney, the Illawarra and Central Tablelands districts. The highest weekly total was 222 mm at Faulconbridge in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales.”
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Underbool sheep duffing victim calls for cop stock squad return
THE WEEKLY TIMES – by Kate Dowler – “AN EXHAUSTIVE seven-month investigation by a one-man police station copper, which led to a conviction and fine for a sheep and wool duffer, was a bittersweet outcome for Underbool victim Kieran Hayter…”
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December 4, 2018Wool on the waves: NZ sheep wool used to redefine surfboards
RNZ – “A Tauranga based surfboard manufacturer is opting for sheep wool over glass fibre to make a New Zealand surfboard from start to finish.”
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AWI has announced a $2.5 million investment in flystrike vaccine investigation.
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – “The $2.5 million four-year research investment is a collaboration between AWI, the University of Melbourne and CSIRO to undertake preliminary research into the development of a flystrike vaccine targeting the Australian sheep blowfly (Lucilia cuprina).”
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Shearers to gather for Tony ‘Bushy’ Hill at Clunes
STOCK & LAND – by Alastair Dowie – “The call to arms by Clunes residents to support a local legend after he was recently diagnosed with motor neurone disease has gained momentum. Tony ‘Bushy’ Hill has worked as a shearer for more than 50 years.”
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Solid online demand for crossbred lines on AuctionsPlus Wool
SHEEP CENTRAL – “AUCTIONSPLUS Wool followed the physical market to last week experience solid demand for its online offering, and especially for cheaper crossbred lines.”
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The wool market stays steady, in the lead up to Christmas break
THE WEEKLY TIMES – by Peter Somerville and Petra Oates – “THE wool market was steady last week and growers are hopeful it will stay that way in the final fortnight of sales for the year. The Eastern Market Indicator rose just 2c/kg last week to close at 1860c/kg clean, up from 1676c/kg at the same time last year.
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December 3, 2018Wool surfboards: Kiwi ingenuity leads to global partnership with Kelly Slater’s company Firewire
DELOITTE.DIGITAL – by Damien Venuto – “A Kiwi surfboard shaper’s serendipitous experiment with wool has led to a global partnership with one of the biggest names in surfing and an entirely new type of surfboard.”
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Merino Country’s 25th anniversary of wool garment manufacturing
NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER – by Sally Cripps – “A raw idea to find out what happened to her wool after it left her Richmond shearing shed was celebrated in Brisbane last week when Kerrie Richards blew out the 25th anniversary candles for what has become one of Australia’s leading manufacturers of Merino products.”
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Wool report: week 22 of sales sees the wool market remain firm
WESTERN MAGAZINE – by Natalie Lyons – “Week Commencing 3/12/18 Week 22 saw the wool market remain firm with the Eastern Market Indicator making a small increase of two cents to finish at 1,860c/kg. There was a national offering of 34,513 bales for the week which is down 18 per cent comparative to the corresponding sale last year.”
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Woolgrowers’ E-Newsletter
Australian Wool Innovation – “AWI AGM 2018… Market Intelligence Nov 2018 … On Farm How to manage silverleaf nightshade infestations …. “
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Australia needs one traceability system for sheep says SPA leader
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Terry Sim – “DIFFERENT traceability systems for sheep in Australia’s states will not help the nation’s international competitiveness, according to Sheep Producers of Australia chief executive officer Graham Smith.”
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Farmers join together to trace their wool from sheep to shop
THE AUSTRALIAN – by Sue Neales, national rural reporter – “West Australian woolgrower Noel Fowler never thought that a well-dressed consumer in China would one day know his name, let alone be able to see photos and films of how his treasured merino sheep are born and reared on his family’s property at Williams in WA’s fertile southwest.”
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Australian wool market continues to rise
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Bruce McLeish, Elders northern zone wool manager – “IT was another interesting week in the world of wool with another couple of cents added to the AWEX’s Eastern Market Indicator. However, like is often the case the overall indicator summarises the situation a little – or a lot, and there were some interesting moves within the market.”
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APL launches new Techloom Breeze Merino Wool shoes
FIBRE2FASHION – “Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL), a leader in men’s and women’s athletic footwear and apparel, has announced the launch of the APL TechLoom Breeze Merino Wool collection, its most sustainable and lightest running shoe to date. Each shoe features 80 per cent Australian merino wool, innovatively knitted with APL’s patented, stretch-rebound TechLoom upper.”
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Latest Wool Trading News – December 2018
WOOLNEWS.NET – “Australian wool production impacted by tough season…. Australian wool growres vote to reduce wool levy… Australian Wool Market Review … “
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Why does wool breathe?
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – Advertiser content for AWI – “Human beings rely on clothing to help regulate their body temperatures, and this creates the feeling of comfort. Due to the wool fibre’s inherent characteristics, wool fabrics provide this thermal comfort better than any other common apparel fibre. How does wool do this?”
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People need to be told ‘what wool is about’ (NZ)
RURAL LIFE – by Sally Rae – “Education is the key to lifting the state of the wool industry, industry leader Craig Smith says. Mr Smith, general manager for Devold Wool Direct, is a member of the Wool Working Group, which has been working on how to create a more sustainable and profitable sector. Made up of 20 wool producers, processors and other industry representatives, it has been charged with developing a pan-sector action plan.”
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Opinion: Is It time to introduce a wool levy? (NZ)
THE COUNTRY – “New Zealand coarse wool needs some serious help – maybe it’s time to look seriously at a wool levy again, writes Federated Farmers Meat & Wool policy advisor Julie Geange.”
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December 2, 2018Wycheproof store sheep were disappointing in end of season sale
NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER – by Murray Arnel – “The recent hype surrounding strong sheep market results was marked down from rooster to feather duster status for the closing sale of the 2018 store sheep selling season at Wycheproof on Friday. With a large portion of the local Mallee region hamstrung in its restocking by dry weather, outside buying interest also was lacklustre resulting in a substantial discounted in buying prices compared on the centre’s month-earlier bouyant rates.”
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November 30, 2018Wool market struggles to hold on
STOCK & LAND by Joely Mitchell – “The Australian wool market could not hold onto the strength of the previous week’s sales, with the Merino fleece sector recording losses across most types.”
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Weekly Price Reports
AUSTRALIAN WOOL INNOVATION – Wool market review – week ending 30 November 2018 (Week 22)
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Crossbred sector in demand
TOWN & COUNTRY – Elders Season 18 – Week 22 Source: Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) The strong positive movement experienced in the previous week’s sale could not be sustained in Week 22. The quantity on offer was 34,513 bales, the national offering is now down by 18.0 per cent when compared to the corresponding sale of the previous season. “
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APL Debuts The Woolmark Company-Certified Running Shoe
WWD – by Marcy Medina – “The TechLoom Breeze Merino Wool collection is the first technical-knit shoe to hit the global market with the wool certification trademark…. Los Angeles-based running shoe brand Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) has partnered with The Woolmark Company on the first technical-knit shoe to hit the global market with the wool certification trademark.”
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Fine crossbred and Merino wool prices lift to keep indicator steady
SHEEP CENTRAL – “Flagging Chinese domestic demand for woollen garments has been partially blamed for Australian wool prices this week, which lifted for fine crossbred and Merino fleece, and for skirtings, but fell for medium Merino types.”
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Maintaining China’s desire for Aussie wool
FARM WEEKLY – Wool Extra brought to you by AWI – “Trade between China and Australia is fundamental for the Australian wool industry. In 2018, AWI has marked more than half a century of a cross-cultural partnership between Australia and China – spanning trade through to design.”
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WA farmers fashion their own spin on local wool
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN – by Jenne Brammer – “A group of farmers at Williams are seeing the wool grown on their own sheep’s backs featured in quality fashion garments and sold locally under WA’s first farm-to-fashion program. The Williams wool program is a provenance-focused program, driven by a group of local farmers and the Williams Woolshed where some of the best quality wool from the region is transformed into a range of high-quality, limited edition garments under the MerinoSnug label.”
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November 29, 2018Tambo Teddies celebrate Woolmark licence
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Sally Cripps – “Exclusive: Western Queensland retailer, Tambo Teddies, is this week celebrating the news that it has become a Woolmark brand licencee. One of the world’s best-known textile quality fibre brands, the Woolmark label has been providing consumers in the apparel, interior textile and home laundry sectors with assurances of quality and guaranteed fibre content since 1964.”
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Dry, hot summer is forecast, according to Bureau of Meteorology
WESTERN MAGAZINE – “It looks like we’re in for another hot few months with the recent Bureau of Meteorology Climate Outlook forecasting drier than average temperatures and rainfall for the summer season. The BoM’s Climate Outlook for December to February was released on November 29 and predicts warmer than average days and nights are likely for almost all of the country.”
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Seasonal climate outlook Dec 2018 – Feb 2019
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Bureau of Meteorology – “SUMMER rainfall is forecast to be below average across much of northern Australia, with warmer than average days and nights likely, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s three month seasonal climate outlook for December to February.”
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Wool NZ announces Glenhope as winner of 2018 Grower of the Year
VOXY – Contributor Fuseworks Media – ” Simon and Melissa Turner of Glenhope in Hawke’s Bay have won the Wools of New Zealand (WNZ) Grower of the Year award for the 2017/ 2018 season. The award acknowledges the Turners’ commitment to producing quality wool to contract specification. All shareholders who have signed up to the WNZ STAPLE programme are eligible to win the annual accolade.”
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Meet Rams’ ‘leading man’, his harem of ewes and one luxurious on-set trailer
ABC NEWS – ABC Great Southern – by Ellie Honeybone – “His white coat is luxurious, he loves a good massage, he is starring in a blockbuster film with Sam Neill and Michael Caton, and he is accompanied everywhere he goes by a harem of ladies. Locke is one ram living in luxury.”
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Combating invasive species
NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER – Wool Extra brought to you by AWI – “The Centre for Invasive Species Solution has launched 21 projects to combat key invasive species problems. Supported by AWI, government departments, research institutions and other RDCs, the centre is a national collaborative research, development and extension (RD&E) organisation formed to tackle the ongoing threat from invasive species, such as wild dogs, foxes, rabbits, wild pigs and feral deer.”
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Funding to train and attract shearers is still needed, despite investment in robotics
THE WEEKLY TIMES – by Nicola Bell – “HOW to attract shearers to the industry, while funding projects into robotic shearing — which essentially do shearers out of a job — was an issue raised at the Australian Wool Innovation annual general meeting.”
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November 28, 2018WoolProducers president Ed Storey says wool has a bright future
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Kristen Frost – “To the new president of WoolProducers Australia, wool is one of the world’s the greatest commodities, but it is only as good as the industry says it is. Ed Storey – sheep farmer with a degree in economics and now president of the peak wool body – said Australian Merino wool has the best story in the world to tell. “Wool is the world’s premier natural fibre. The Merino sheep is largely organic and it is largely free range,” Mr Storey said.”
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New chairman signals a fresh era at Australian Wool International
THE STANDARD – by Everard Himmelreich – “Newly appointed Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) chairman Colette Garnsey has signalled a new era for the peak wool industry body, telling shareholders the company is committed to greater engagement with Australian woolgrowers.”
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AWI’s marketing versus research and development spend — is the split right?
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Terry Sim – “AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation is prepared to consider changing its expenditure split between wool marketing and other research and development, company chair Colette Garnsey told shareholders last week.”
