Wool in schools popular
A project that aims to educate Kiwi schoolchildren about wool will see the 25,000th student pass through its wool sheds this month.
New Zealand's wool industry might not be sustainable, says the chairman of Campaign for Wool NZ.
Tom O’Sullivan says 2020 was the first time in three generations of his family farm that it had cost more to shear his sheep than he earned from the price of wool on the market.
“That’s totally not sustainable,” O’Sullivan told Rural News.
“Globally, consumers have been obsessed or romanced by synthetic fibres.”
He says that while fine wools like Merino do well on the market because they can be used for clothing, it only makes up 10% of New Zealand wool products.
A further 80% of New Zealand wool is strong wool, used mainly for carpets and rugs.
Data from Stats NZ reveals that total wool exports fell 30.2% to $367 million in the year to January 2021. The data suggests that New Zealand earned more from live animal exports than from wool clip.
O’Sullivan is concerned that it will reach a point where farmers are only shearing sheep for animal health purposes.
He says that farmers are now moving away from farming the Romney and Perendale breeds that produce strong wool and are purchasing Wiltshires instead.
“In my personal opinion, the New Zealand wool industry has very much rested on its laurels,” he says, pointing to the lack of movement in the research and development space.
The global Campaign for Wool was founded by the Prince of Wales in 2008 in reaction to the rise of synthetic fibres. In 2011, the New Zealand arm of the Campaign was launched with the aim of educating Kiwis and creating awareness about wool.
The Campaign has moved towards supporting specific companies in New Zealand, something they were previously hesitant to do. Its website now features a list of companies, including Bremworth (formerly Cavalier Bremworth), which use New Zealand wool in their products.
“We have to get people to buy more wool and consumers need to know what products to buy,” O’Sullivan says.
He adds that the pandemic has been “a problem like it is for everyone”.
With lockdowns and alert level changes cancelling events, some marketing has had to be put on hold.
O’Sullivan says the effects on exports is not as bad as it is for other sectors because wool does not have an expiry date the way that consumable products like milk and meat do.
“Over time, two years or so, the quality will decline slightly, however, supply chain issues have had an impact,” he says.
In the meantime, it’s a case of building up consumer demand in order to ensure the sector’s survival.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…
OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.