This week was the annual Easter recess for physical wool auctions and the AWEX is indicating a large offering next week as a result. An expected 54,062 bales are to be listed, 28,628 of which will be offered at the Southern selling center.
Notably, recently the United Kingdom has granted Australian and New Zealand shearers an exemption to travel for work and support a shearing labour shortage and it will be interesting to see if Australian shearers take up the offer. As local shearers can move freely around the country, and soon to be across the Trans-Tasman, it is likely the cost would far outweigh the benefit of traveling across the world to shear with an abundance of work available locally.
Online Offer Board
While physical selling centers recessed the AuctionsPlus online offer board remained operational. Although rather quiet, there were 132 bales sold for the period. There were 91 bales of 17µ micron wool sold online this week to a top of 1,440c/kg greasy or 2,090c/kg dry. 18µ micron wool sold to a top of 933c/kg greasy or 1,422c/kg dry. The top priced lot online was 11 bales of 17.5µ micron Merino AAASUP fleece which sold for 1,440c/kg greasy or 1,941c/kg dry. This lot has 0.2% vegetable matter, is 94mm in length, and was offered by the Australian Wool Network with “THE MOUNTAIN DAM” branding.
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