Category: Sheep

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is extending the due date for submissions on the WoolPoll Review to give stakeholders the best opportunity to share their thoughts on how the poll is run. Source: Sheep Central More time to make WoolPoll review submissions

A recovery in the national flock is underway, with sheep producers in key regions now in a position to consider increasing flock numbers, buoyed by improved seasonal conditions, according to Meat & Livestock Australia’s 2020 Sheep Industry Projections June update. Source: Sheep Central MLA mid-year projections: Lamb production to fall as restocker demand lifts

SINCE the outbreak of COVID-19 and current social distancing restrictions, Australians are feeling more isolated than ever before. In response, Meat & Livestock Australia’s upcoming winter lamb campaign is set… Source: Sheep Central MLA winter lamb campaign: Sharing lamb through ‘secret recipes’

ONLINE wool purchases increased on AuctionsPlus over the past week, possibly because of the lower industry-wide offerings. Source: Sheep Central AuctionsPlus online wool sales increase

IT was a slow week for wool forward market trading volumes, although there were a couple of highlights in this time when commodity markets generally struggle to find good news. Source: Sheep Central Some highlights in slow week for forward wool marketing

AUSTRALIAN wool prices recovered slightly this week, with improvement in Merino and crossbred values, as the limited supplies matched current demand. Source: Sheep Central Wool prices improve slightly as limited demand meets lower supplies

PEAK wool grower WoolProducers Australia is pushing for greater independence in the WoolPoll process that decides the levy options growers currently vote on every three years. Source: Sheep Central WoolProducers seeks independence in WoolPoll process

AUSTRALIA’S wool market contraction also hit online offerings last week, cutting bale clearance rates. Source: Sheep Central Wool market contraction hits online clearance rates

FORWARD wool markets held their ground despite another difficult week for the wool market and commodities in general. Source: Sheep Central Forward wool markets hold their ground

UNPARALLELED demand for scanned in-lamb ewe replacements drove prices to a new record of $446 for first cross ewes on AuctionsPlus last week. Source: Sheep Central High scanning rate justifies record 6 first cross ewe price

AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation’s wool marketing model of funding directors and senior management to jet to European fashion parades at growers’ expense has failed, argues former director Chick Olsson. Source: Sheep Central Asymmetrical warfare approach needed for wool – Olsson

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AUSTRALIA’S wool prices returned to levels matching current demand at auctions this week, losing last week’s gains due mainly to a May shipping squeeze. Source: Sheep Central Wool prices drop back to reflect depressed demand conditions

A GROUP of non-mulesed wool growers in drought-stricken New South Wales and Queensland have been given approval to restock with mulesed sheep without losing their Responsible Wool Standard status. The… Source: Sheep Central Global non-mulesed wool standard makes restocking concession

A NEW 20,000-head capacity sheep feedlot will be built in in western Queensland with the help of a $250,000 State Government grant announced today. Source: Sheep Central Western Queensland to get 20,000-head sheep feedlot

WOOL from Australian sheep mulesed without pain relief is more likely to be passed-in under grower auction reserves than fleece from animals treated more humanely or not mulesed, AWEX data shows. Source: Sheep Central Is mulesed wool lowering prices and building Australia’s stockpile?

STORE sheep prices corrected on AuctionsPlus last week, but clearances remained strong for scanned in-lamb first cross ewes and Merino wethers. Source: Sheep Central AuctionsPlus store sheep prices correct with strong clearances

A NEW South Wales farming family has stayed viable by expanding vertically rather than horizontally to bring their Outback Lamb to regional and city consumers. Source: Sheep Central Success for this NSW family is Outback Lamb on a roll

THE wool forward market tended to ignore the machinations of the spot auction sectors this week by trading in a narrow range from May through to November. Source: Sheep Central Forward wool market ignores auction price volatility

A LIFT in buyer interest increased the AuctionsPlus online wool auction clearance rate this week and more than doubled the number of bales sold on the platform’s offer board. Source: Sheep Central AuctionsPlus fields more buyer interest in online wool purchases

PRICES for fine and medium Merino wool lifted in Australian auctions this week, but crossbred fleece values fell to record lows. Source: Sheep Central Merino wool prices lift, but crossbreds sink to new lows

AUCTIONSPLUS sold about 400 bales of wool last week on its auction and offer board platforms as the physical market prices fell again. Source: Sheep Central Wool buyers access AuctionsPlus online platforms

EXPERIENCED South Australian sheep producer Martin Flower believes copper-deficient pastures could be silently robbing wool and lamb producers of valuable yield. Source: Sheep Central Copper deficiency could be fleecing farmers, SA sheep manager warns

SCANNED in-lamb Merino ewes sold to $341 and young first cross ewes made to $422 on AuctionsPlus last week. AuctionsPlus offered 68,351 sheep and lamb last week, 31,938 fewer than… Source: Sheep Central AuctionsPlus sells first cross ewes to 2, Merino ewe hoggets to 1

FORWARD wool markets traded in a wide range in another difficult week for spot auctions, with prices coming off 50 to 80 cents across all categories. Source: Sheep Central Forward market falls with auction price slump

NEW technologies to measure the eating quality of lamb and beef will be outlined next week in the first of a series of webinars by the Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association. Source: Sheep Central New lamb eating quality measurements to be outlined in webinar

AUSTRALIAN sheep meat prices are not expected to drop dramatically unless large numbers of processors close due to reduced margins or a COVID-19 outbreak, according to Rabobank analyst Angus Gidley-Baird. Source: Sheep Central Big drops in Australian sheep meat prices not forecast with COVID-19

AUSTRALIAN wool prices fell to new lows this week, as COVID-19 continued to impact global supply chains and consumer confidence. Source: Sheep Central Good wool in demand as Australian prices slump to new lows

BREEDING sheep prices continued at high levels, albeit with some corrections, in a bigger online AuctionsPlus offering last week. Source: Sheep Central First cross ewes sell to 6 online as restocker demand continues

A FALL in auction wool prices of around 60 cents across the board last week has impacted the forward market curve and support levels. Source: Sheep Central Falling wool auction prices impacts forward trading curve

Prickles the sheep disappeared when she was just a lamb when bushfires destroyed the boundary fences at her farm in 2013. Following her surprise return two weeks ago, she has finally been shorn for the first time in seven years. Source: ABC Livestock Ewe must be joking! Prickles fleeced of seven years of wool… Read more »

AUSTRALIA’S wool production is predicted to drop further to 276 million kilograms next year, with clip recovery expected to be slowed by sheep meat flock and cropping growth, ewe replacement costs and COVID-19 impacts. Source: Sheep Central Smaller flock, sheep meat growth and wool prices to cut clip

PROMINENT Italian textile processor Reda and clothing company Loro Piana have penned an open letter to Australian Wool Innovation chair Colette Garnsey to tell her that the movement to non-mulesed/ceased mulesed wool sourcing is massive and increasing annually. Source: Sheep Central Italian brands urge AWI chair to lead change to non-mulesed wool

ON-FARM biosecurity planning in South Australia will be boosted with the appointment of SA academic and sheep farmer Dr Emily Buddle in a specialist extension role with Animal Health Australia. Source: Sheep Central SA sheep biosecurity to get on-farm planning boost

AUSTRALIAN growers continued to sell wool online last week despite auction prices easing in the COVID-19-affected market. Source: Sheep Central Online wool sellers meet the market on AuctionsPlus

AUCTIONSPLUS has almost doubled its online wool auction selling rate in just one week as it continues weekly sales. Source: Sheep Central AuctionsPlus Wool live online selling rate is increasing

NEW South Wales wool grower Jim Gordon puts his case for Australian Wool Innovation to urge Australian Merino breeders to move to plain-bodied sheep to remove the need for mulesing. Source: Sheep Central NSW wool grower urges AWI to promote non-mulesed production

PRICES for scanned in-lamb first cross ewe prices reached again record levels on AuctionsPlus last week, as sheep producers across the nation continued to restock after recent rain. Source: Sheep Central Scanned first cross ewes sell to record 4 on AuctionsPlus

WOOL forward markets seemed to find a base into the spring as the spot auction sector continued to taper downwards this week. Source: Sheep Central Growers hedge wool on forward markets as auction prices slip

AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation Stuart McCullough has claimed suspending wool market commentary earlier this month was “the prudent thing to do” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: Sheep Central No wool market commentary ‘prudent’, says AWI’s CEO

HEAVY lamb prices continued to lose ground at major saleyard sales mid-week, while rates for quality trade, light export and restocker lambs were generally firm to dearer. Source: Sheep Central Heavy lamb prices continue to fall in saleyards

TOP maker and Italian Wool Trade Association board member Claudio Lacchio has penned an open letter to Australian Wool Innovation chair Colette Garnsey contesting her assertion that the “push” to non-mulesed wool is being driven by two European fashion houses. Source: Sheep Central AWI chair urged to ‘channel the right messages’ on non-mulesed wool

AUSTRALIA’S wool industry has lost an opportunity to promote unequivocal transparency by allowing wool from freeze-branded sheep to be described as ‘non-mulesed’, according to Italian processors Reda and Vitale Barberis Canonico. Source: Sheep Central Australian wool’s ‘lost transparency opportunity’ in recent NWD review

COMPETITION for pregnant ewes continued on AuctionsPlus last week, with scanned first cross lines making to $401 and young Merino breeders making to $363. Source: Sheep Central First cross ewes to 1 and Merinos to 6 on AuctionsPlus

AUSTRALIAN wool exporters and a leading global sheep welfare standard have rejected statements that non-mulesed wool demand was driven by a few European fashion houses and not garment customers. Source: Sheep Central AWI leader Garnsey’s view on non-mulesed wool demand rejected

IT was a mixed bag for the physical auction and forward wool markets this week. Source: Sheep Central Wool market ‘a mixed bag’ for physical auctions and forwards

HIGHER fine Merino fleece prices in Melbourne were the highlight in a generally flat wool auction market in Australia this week, reflecting stronger demand for stylish, well-measured lots versus discounts for low-yielding, poorly measured lots. Source: Sheep Central Wool buyers battle for style and yield in small bale offering

INCREASED focus on twin lamb survival has been shown to represent a $121 million opportunity for Australian sheep producers participating in the Lambs Alive program. For the past two weeks,… Source: Sheep Central Lambs Alive bootcampers discover hidden treasure in their twins