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West Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
WA's non-mulesed sheep proportions are the lowest in the country but growing premiums could be gamechanging
Australian farmers have not been in a rush to transition away from mulesing, especially in WA, but with growing premiums for non-mulesed wool this could be set to change. Recent AWEX data indicated the proportion of non-mulesed merino wool had increased by a mere 3 per cent during the past three years. WA had the lowest proportion of non-mulesed sheep in the country at 24 per cent for crossbred and 6 per cent for merino between June, 2024 and May, 2025. WA was followed by South Australia, with 30 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. Comparatively, Queensland and Tasmania lead with their stats almost doubling that of NSW and Victoria — which represent the majority of wool sales across the country. QLD had the highest percentage of non-mulesed crossbred sheep at 75 per cent and second highest merino at 43 per cent, while Tasmania had 60 per cent crossbred and the highest percentage of non-mulesed merino at 52 per cent. Westcoast Wool and Livestock broker Justin Haydock said the premiums available for non-mulesed sheep could encourage farmers to shift to more 'plain-bodied sheep' in the next five to 10 years. 'With the premiums available, I think the numbers will only grow,' he said. In the last auction for the 2024-25 financial year, non-mulesed RWS-certified clips maintained premiums of more than 150¢/kg, especially in 19 to 20.5 microns. Mr Haydock said the growing premium for non-mulesed wool, specifically RWS wool — an integrity qualification scheme adopted by the company — was driven by demand from European and US manufacturers. 'Many brands have said they will only buy RWS wool by 2026 and these brands sit on the board of the Textile Exchange — this is leading to the growing premium for RWS wool,' he said. Global brands — including Australian brands and retailers such as Gorman, Country Road, Myer, Target, and H&M — are reportedly no longer accepting wool from lambs that have been mulesed, while over 330 brands worldwide have committed to end mulesing by 2030. Mr Haydock said while there is a growing premium for RWS wool, mulesed wool still held value. 'China, India, Vietnam and these sorts of countries consume a lot of wool that is mulesed,' he said. According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics, China is the largest importer of Australian wool. In fact, more than 85 per cent of WA wool ended up in Chinese processing facilities in the 2023-24 financial year, a 1.2 per cent increase on year to date. China is followed by India with 5 per cent, Italy with 2.8 per cent and Czechia with 2.7 per cent. While markets are accessible for both mulesed and non-mulesed wool, industry continues to look for ways to reduce mulesing. An Australian Wool Innovation spokesperson said industry was committed to reducing reliance on mulesing but it would depend on the development and adoption of effective alternatives to ensure sheep welfare. 'The industry is investing in research for alternatives to reduce the incidence of flystrike, promoting the use of anaesthetics and analgesics and providing the tools for woolgrowers to work towards reducing their reliance on mulesing,' they said. Through AWI, woolgrowers and the Federal Government have invested $48.5M million in Flystrike Research, Development and Extension, designed to help woolgrowers looking to manage their flocks without mulesing and optimises animal welfare, productivity and profitability on their farms.
West Australian
22-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
RWS-certified wool demand rises exponentially in recent months, fetching more than 100c/kg premiums
Global demand for ethically-produced wool has risen exponentially during the past six months, with fleeces certified through the Responsible Wool Standard fetching premiums of more than 100c/kg. And industry experts expect premiums to continue to rise as demand, particularly from Eastern Europe, continues to build. Westcoast Wool and Livestock broker Justin Haydock said RWS-certified wool fetched an average premium of 6.5 per cent above the market, with specific clips showing up to 11.46 per cent premiums during the last RWS sale on April 30 — selling week 44. 'Total average price difference over 100 bales was $10,500,' he said. 'I've got another clip here that offered 41 bales, averaged 9.75 per cent above the market, and total price difference was 6k. 'Another clip here: 67 bales, $10,000 and an average 11.46 per cent above the market. 'And another clip here was a larger clip, but they did have lower yielding wool with with high vegetable matter, but that's still average 6.2 per cent above the market, 200 bales, and total price difference of 22,000 there.' Mr Haydock said the stats are based on sold prices versus AWEX quotes on the day for particular lines of wool. The RWS is a voluntary standard — established by international non-for-profit Textile Exchange — which requires all sites, from wool farms to the seller, to be certified. Farmers are evaluated against animal welfare, land management and social requirements to meet the standard, and all wool has to be produced from non-mulesed sheep. Mr Haydock said he was conducting private RWS sales catalogues to offer larger volumes, which buyers preferred. 'We've identified that buyers really like the opportunity to bid on volume,' he said. 'They're not force to take a position on the wool themselves. They can fill orders straight away, get it straight onto a ship and delivered to mills.' Mr Haydock said low-yielding, high VM wools are heavily discounted in the auction marketplace however, RWS certification mitigates this discount. 'Looking forward, I think demand is only going to increase,' he said. 'Surprisingly, we've actually seen people drop away from the AWS. 'There could potentially be more growers start to sign up again now that the premiums are starting to increase but I think the demand will outweigh volume at the end of the day.' Fremantle Wool Trading managing director John Bradbury said while there was financial benefit in being RWS certified and there was 'certainly a demand in Europe', many farmers simply 'can't be bothered with it'. 'The complexity of it drives everyone mad — it's clunky,' he said. 'Non-mulesed is almost impossible to find and it's harder and harder to find RWS wool.' In week 46, May 14, the national offering was 30,931 bales, with 7529 were declared non-mulesed or ceased mulesing.
West Australian
13-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Dusty, low-yielding wool is the current norm Australia-wide due to dry seasonal conditions
A lack of rain across the country is taking its toll on Australian wool quality, with dusty, low-yielding wool more prevalent than usual. The industry is not unfamiliar with dry conditions and experienced similar conditions this time last year but traders say it has been difficult to find a home for lower-style wools. Australian Wool Exchange senior market analyst Lionell Plunkett said the ongoing dry weather across the country had contributed to dusty growing environments. He said in turn, this resulted in reduced fleece yields and had negatively impacted wool style and quality. AWEX classifies wool into seven style categories, ranging from one (choice) to seven (inferior). Most Australian wool is usually graded within style categories three and five, but during the past four to six weeks there has been a clear increase in the number of sale lots assessed as style six and seven. Mr Plunkett said the decline in style quality had been particularly noticeable in the Southern and Western selling centres. Figures from the Southern region increased 14 percentage points since the final sale of 2024, from one per cent to 15. 'In the Western region, the proportion has risen sharply from 2 per cent in December to 23 per cent this week,' Mr Plunkett said. 'Traders are finding it increasingly difficult to integrate these lower-style wools into existing orders, which is placing further downward pressure on the market.' The Eastern Market Indicator fell 19¢/kg during the May 6 and 7 sales, to close at 1191¢/kg, but prices were still up five per cent, or 57¢, compared to the same time last week. The latest stats marked the third week in succession of falling prices, with brokers attributing price variances to varying quality. Westcoast Wool and Livestock broker Justin Haydock said he is currently seeing 'a lot' of low-yielding wool come through the system, believing it to be season-related. 'It seems to be worse than usual,' he said. Mr Haydock said he was watching 21 microns carefully, believing changes to the 21 microns in the market would be reflective of the market as a whole but does not believe there will be a shift any time soon. 'I believe the micron price spread will stay low for quite some time with many breeding objectives over the years being to produce a finer wool while maintaining wool cut, seasonal conditions nationwide — causing a finer micron,' he said. 'In my opinion, the only way we will see fines lift is if 21 microns can break through their resistance level of 1500, something they have rarely done. 'Due to a supply-and-demand scenario, historic data tells us that the micron price spread could stay low for the near future until we see an increase in broader wools on the market.'
