WoolProducers Australia targets lack of competition in market

Australia’s only national wool voice, WoolProducers Australia, vows to continue its pressing work to advocate for woolgrowers on the back of a challenging year. The peak national body for the wool producing industry addressed its mandates with the release of an annual report on November 19. WoolProducers Australia president Steve Harrison said the market “lacked competition”. “We continue to pursue domestic processing in Australia, as well as Vietnam, Bangladesh, and India, with a $2 million injection required,” he said. Mr Harrison said it was unfortunate that Australian Wool Innovation’s $350m spend in the last decade had not increased wool’s share in the global apparel market. “The price of wool has also decreased in real terms,” he said. “There has to be serious consideration given to the current structure of the industry. “Some in industry are predicting the wool market to lift by March.” He expressed concern about the WA sheep industry with the Federal Government’s “debacle” to end the live sheep by vessel trade. “There needs to be direction on where the Government money (compensation) is to be spent,” he said. Mr Harrison was vocal about advocating for mandatory pain relief for mulesing with the potential of government to be “forced to listen and negotiate” with animal rights groups. “We cannot continue to defend mulesing without a mandated pain relief,” he said. WoolProducers Australia chief executive officer Jo Hall and general manager Adam Dawes jointly addressed the issues facing woolgrowers during the challenging year. They were mutual to call out “poor” Government policies including the live sheep export ban and the threat of the “ill-conceived” Biosecurity Protection Levy. The heads of the wool industry’s peak advocate body made a commitment to increase pre-export scouring in Australia. Through relationship building with Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India, market expansion and competitiveness remains in their sights. With a potential of a $1.8 billion in increased GDP, they are at locked horns with the Government for funding assistance. They continue to stand by the Trust in Australian Wool campaign, launched in 2012, that petitions for sheep health, welfare, and biosecurity practises, plus exceptional sustainability, and traceability processes. WoolProducers Australia aims to represent Australian woolgrowers by providing a unified policy forum on national wool issues to enable woolgrowers to drive change in their industry. It provides a nationally unified voice on the activities that are necessary for the benefit, advancement, and longevity of woolgrowers’ social and economic wellbeing. By working with State and Federal government agencies and other stakeholders on key issues, WoolProducers addresses key issues. These include animal health and welfare, biosecurity, pest management control, natural resource management, drought preparedness, emergency disease outbreak and industry development.