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AWGA TO Pursue “new Brand for wool”
introduce a new and innovative marketing brand of un-mulesed or "ethical" merino wool, following the historic agreement with PETA that has ended the wool boycott . AWGA has stated that this important development is a commercial or trade issue, not a political one.
AWGA continues to receive interest from processors and retailers regarding the supply of un-mulesed or "ethically" produced wool.
AWGA is planning to host major US retailers during a visit to Australia to examine developments in this new branded wool production and marketing concept. Why wait until 2010 to capture the potential market opportunities that exist in 2005?
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) chair Ian McLachlan has shown that he has few solutions to wool's latest crisis by continuing court action against PETA, despite the boycott moratorium, and now involving federal politicians. Growers, however, showed in 1998 by dismissing McLachlan's predecessors on the AWRAP board, that they wanted the government out of the wool industry.
In the 3 years since McLachlan was elected chairman of AWI, the price of Australian wool has fallen almost 500 cents per kilogram clean, over 40%. Forward sales of wool and the key futures market has all but collapsed, with processors ordering wool on a hand to mouth basis. Merino ram to merino ewe matings have dropped along with sheep numbers to the lowest point in 50 years.
The all important merino ewe drives the quality of the Australian woolclip and supplies the breeders for the lucrative sheepmeat industry.
McLachlan and AWI are shooting the messenger by disregarding concerns
of animal rights and animal welfare lobby groups.
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