Rob Cochrane
Prices for the predominantly crossbred wool types on offer improved slightly in February, as exporters recognised that volumes are likely to be reduced throughout the second half of the current wool selling season.
That’s due to low breeding flock numbers, with further reduction likely in the face of rapid land-use change.
Having said that, wool flows have been slow and only within the past couple of weeks have things begun to ramp up in Southland.
The wool-harvesting industry has also been challenged recently due to a shortage of skilled shearers.
Many shearing sheds, in the deep south have at least one stand vacant during the shearing process therefore, despite weather being conducive to shearing, the actual process has taken longer than anticipated.
As eluded, crossbred wool prices have improved, although general wool quality has recently worsened.
The main culprit being a distinct yellowing of many fleece types because of relatively warm and humid weather in the weeks leading up to shearing, followed by shearing delays whilst fleeces remained on sheeps’ backs.
Most crossbred lamb’s wool brought forward for sale throughout the past few weeks however has been of reasonably good colour, enhanced by the majority of those having been well-prepared in the wool shed. Recently some lines of lamb’s wool have contained slightly more vegetable matter contamination than desired by the wool export trade.
But with fewer lambs being shorn than in the past few seasons, partly due to some meat companies welcoming woolly lambs for slaughter, provided vegetable matter levels have tested at approximately 0.2 per cent maximum (also dependent on actual type of vegetable matter evident).
Most exporters have been reasonably generous in their assessment and have not imposed too stringent a discount. As is normal when supply is reduced, demand for greasy lamb’s wool did reflect in price premium increases throughout February.
But basics such as staple length and fibre diameter, were to the forefront of specialist lamb’s wool exporter’s requirements, with those wools too coarse or visually too long, being left to fend for themselves in the wider market.
And, with the continued lack of influence in the market from many Chinese processors, several lines measuring coarser than around 31 microns reached prices not dissimilar to those of many second-shear fleece types.
Volumes of halfbred and corriedale wool types were generally sparse during February and market demand was limited, possibly reflecting the lack of influence from Chinese buying interests.
A few finer lines did sell well in Christchurch, and at levels similar to those received by Australian growers of similar types at auctions in their country.
A number of Merino wool types remaining on hand from earlier in the season were offered in a couple of auctions held in Christchurch in early/mid-February and were welcomed by the bench of buyers representing mainly European, Asian, and Australasian mills.
Growers were rewarded well with a handful of extra-fine types reaching extremely good levels in the Christchurch auction room.
