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Trader demand is still strong for British wool ; Wool [Newcastle Journal (England)](Newcastle Journal (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WOOL producers will have the chance to meet British Wool Marketing Board representatives to discuss both wool prices and the work of the BWMB at the upcoming Great Yorkshire Show. BWMB is active at every stage in the wool supply chain and is the only central marketing board still in operation in the UK, making it a truly unique organisation in the agricultural sector, explained its chairman Malcolm Corbett, who will be present at the event. Corbett, who farms at Rochester north of Hexham, said: "For many farmers the board is simply the organisation that pays them for their wool. "But there is much more to the board's work than that. It runs wool depots across the UK, collecting wool from sheep farmers and grading it according to type and quality before selling it on producers' behalf at regular auctions to wool merchants and end users across the globe." From shearer training through to the Campaign for Wool, the board is active at every level of the wool industry and through its work is helping improve both the quality of fleeces being delivered to depots and the demand for British wool, he added. "Producers wanting to maximise the value of their fleeces should ensure they deliver them to our depots in the best possible condition, and that starts with clean and efficient shearing'. The past 12 months have seen demand for British wool increase once again and as a result prices achieved at BWMB wool auctions have also increased, he said. "While producers will naturally always want to see higher wool prices, the levels we've seen wool trading at in the last year are very welcome and show signs of continuing for the coming season. "Demand from all our major trading partners is still strong and reducing sheep numbers across the world means there is less wool to meet this demand. "The effect of this strong market is that the average price of wool achieved by your board is signifi-cantly higher, up 34% on average on last year. "In 2013 the average wool clip value was Pounds 1.03 compared to an average of 77p in 2012. Meanwhile, the average 2014 guide wool clip value for Texel wool, for example, is expected to be Pounds 1.26/kg and Mule types Pounds 1.25/kg.'Gareth Jones, producer communications manager for the British Wool Marketing Board, said: "All wool producers are welcome to visit the BWMB stand located in the same marquee as the show's fleece competition and find out more about what the board does with their wool. "This year, visitors to the marquee will also be able to see a display of woollen products demonstrating wool as a modern, versatile fibre as well as taking part in a wool identifi-cation competition, with six fleeces from different breeds to be identified by contestants." This will help visitors recognise the many different fleece qualities over a range of wools, allowing them to see why some are more suitable for certain uses than others. Jones added: "There are many producers who don't know much about what happens to their wool once it has been delivered to the depot. However, taking time to understand more about the wool industry can help producers earn more from their clip, as much of what happens onfarm can impact on wool values at auction." Key to maximising wool prices for farmers is the board's competitive auction system, he insisted. "There really is no better way to maximise the value of your clip and the auction is a time-proven method of attaining the best price possible for all manner of farm commodities." (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |