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Wool Services International (WSI) is helping NZ Merino and Landcorp with plans to develop branded products linked back to the farm, says WSI Purelana manager Malcolm Ching.
The Landcorp wool is still on the market, but it is not going to auction so it is not open to the whole trade, Ching told Rural News in answer to a question about reports that Landcorp is now directing all its wool clip through NZ Merino.
“It is being channelled through NZ Merino and directed mainly to ourselves and we are working with NZ Merino and Landcorp to try to develop branded and direct products where it is linked straight from farm all the way to the end user.
“So we’re working with NZ Merino and with some of our clients offshore to try to use the New Zealand model. I won’t say it’s [exactly] like Icebreaker or Little Perriam because we’re talking different fibres. You’re not in high fashion, you are in the product that is predominantly in carpeting.
“But there are clients out there who want to do branded carpet ranges and to do that you need to have a story that takes them all the way back to the blade of grass the sheep are eating.
“It takes a long time but you have to start somewhere. The way you start is to build a supply base committed to that type of scenario and be prepared to adjust either shearing patterns, preparation, even some of their breed mix if necessary, to tailor it to something you take further down the market end channel and hopefully attach some value to.”
They are dealing with more high-end established mills in Australia and Western Europe. It is early stages; they have been working on it for 12-18 months and it will probably take another three years, he says. By Landcorp coming direct to WSI, the price base is guaranteed to be the market price on the day, so Landcorp is not losing anything.
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