Listen Now. Jamie Mackay from The Country takes his monthly look at the state of the wool market.

Good news seems to be in short supply as the wool market remains in the doldrums.

He asks Rob Cochrane, PGG Wrightson’s South Island Wool Procurement Manager if this is an accurate perception.

Cochrane agrees that the market has been very flat although he points out there has been a slight increase in recent days which has been good for farmers – although it won’t be too much help for the bottom line.

Jamie offered the example of a sheep farmer mate in Southland who is barely covering his costs with his annual shearing.

Surely a tough place for farmers to be in.

Cochrane points out that this has been the situation for the past twelve to eighteen months.  Costs of production are going up.  Nobody has spare money in their back pocket – especially farmers from their wool cheque.

He sees little scope for improvement in the near future.

Jamie raises the shearing side and the fact that it’s becoming more difficult to find shearers.  It’s hard, physical work and the cost of providing the service is going up.

Cochrane says the shearing industry is finding it hard as not a lot of young people are coming forward. 

Jamie asked Rob about wool quality.  A wet, cold spring and a warm, humid summer usually means a yellowing of the wool fleece

Cochrane agrees that a lot of poorer coloured, low yielding wool is coming through.  Even lambs wool is exhibiting poorer colour.

Some fleeces are yielding less than 70 percent. 

A lot of this is due to feed and the condition of the animal.