Lacklustre start amid large offerings

A sharp rise often seen in the wool market in the first January sale did not occur last week, when the Eastern Market Indicator fell by 0.3 per cent to close at 1131c/kg clean.

Australian Wool Industries Secretariat executive director Peter Morgan said the overall market was largely unchanged in Australian currency from the December close, apart from Fremantle where the Western Market Indicator fell by 2 per cent to 1164c/kg clean.

"With 53,755 bales on offer, it was the largest sale of the season and is expected to be followed by this week's sale of more than 50,000 bales," Dr Morgan said.

Landmark said Fremantle's sales experienced heavier losses compared with the east coast centres, with 18 and 18.5 micron lots down about 20c.

The National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia executive director Chris Wilcox said the wool market had experienced a lacklustre start, after the three-week Christmas recess.

"One factor that may have weighted down on the market is the volume of wool on offer - the highest auction offering of the season," Mr Wilcox said.

"While these volumes are small compared with levels seen in the 1990s and the first years of the 2000s, they are quite large weekly volumes for recent years.

"It will be interesting to see how the market performs in the coming weeks as auction offerings fall back," he said.

Broomehill woolgrowers Matthew and Helen Crane offered a partial selection of the family's October-shorn woolclip through Dalgety Wool at the Western Wool Centre last week.

The couple run a 75/25 cropping/sheep enterprise with Mr Crane's parents, Geoff and Lisa Crane, as well as brother Josh and his wife Francis.

"We run two flocks of sheep, comprising 2000 ewes each - Merinos are based on Woodyarrup bloodlines and Poll Merinos are from Willemenup bloodlines," Mr Crane said.

"Both genetic lines of our sheep flocks have good merits. We select for good yielding, free-growing quality wool on easy-care sheep."

Dalgety Wool manager Mark Goodall said the Crane family's offering all sold above evaluation and achieved a top of 938c/kg greasy for a 15-bale line of 20 micron wool.

"A line of lambs' wool with exceptional growth, thickness and staple sold for 680c/kg greasy," Mr Goodall said.

This week's national wool sales will be held in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle, when 56,085 bales go under the hammer.

Present estimates for the following two national wool sales are 47,645 and 45,200 bales.

Both genetic lines

of our sheep flocks

have good merits.

We select for good yielding, free-growing quality wool on easy-care sheep. Broomehill woolgrower Matthew Crane