Tuesday, 15 December 2015 13:21

Wool research gets funding boost

Written by 
Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce. Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce.

'New Uses for Wool' will be the focus of a seven-year wool research consortium

The research has just received $8.4 million in backing from the Government, says Wool Research Organisation of NZ (WRONZ) chairman Derrick Millton.

It could transform New Zealand's wool industry, according to Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

Millton says the funding announcement from the Government is a significant achievement for WRONZ.

The Government will invest $8.4m over the seven years in the research partnership which is co-funded by the WRONZ and worth $21m overall.

Millton says the new consortium takes on a selection of projects and some industry-good work. It concentrates on some work started by the last five-year consortium. But it will no longer do research on wool in carpet and flooring use which has been researched sufficiently.

"What we call the 'new uses', which are non-carpet uses for cross-bred wool, will now be researched, invested in and promoted," Millton explained to Rural News.

"We did the initial work for 'new uses' in the last consortium and they will be really fast-tracked now with the new consortium.

"That is a great thing for cross-bred wool growers. We can't continually rely on just putting wool on the floor. Although it is important, it will not in future absorb as much of NZ's production as it did once.

"Even though wool carpets are very important to the industry still, there is not the volume of carpets being used that are wool.

"The 'new uses' projects – which are a number of areas we can invest in – will have substantially different outcomes for the wool industry."

He is sure some research will transfer to commercial production before that seven years is up. But he says with research you are not sure where you will end up.

In the last five years they "certainly have got some runs on the board and some research being done by a number of providers and investors that is proving to be worthy of continued research".

Some of that information is commercially sensitive.

Of the $21m the consortium will spend over the next seven years WRONZ will put in a percentage with every project. "But every project is different so you can't say that one fits the lot," he explains.

As WRONZ chairman, Millton is delighted with the outcome but "it was an outcome we required otherwise the whole [wool] business would have become much smaller".

"MBIE looks at its projects very hard these days; they are very conscious of where they spend their money."

More like this

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an 8-hour marathon hearing.

Waikato cattle farmers fined $23,000

A Waikato cattle farming family have been fined $23,000 for failing to provide sufficient food and care for their animals, resulting in more than half a dozen animal deaths.

NZ honey strategy resets industry ambitions

A plan to revitalise New Zealand’s honey sector and set it on a new, more sustainable and profitable path for the long term was launched yesterday by Agriculture Minister Todd McClay.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter