Friday, March 29, 2024

Growing demand for wool fibre

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A big year is planned for the Campaign for Wool New Zealand Trust as it shifts its focus to drive the demand for wool fibre.
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New chair Tom O’Sullivan says while the mandate of the trust is to promote the education and awareness of wool, the focus must go further to support the strong wool industry.

“I feel it goes further than education and awareness, we must be focused on supporting commercial entities to create and sell wool products to drive the demand for wool fibre in general,” O’Sullivan said.

“Under my leadership I can assure this will be our core focus.

“I am acutely aware of the dire predicament we find ourselves in for strong wool.

“I recognise that our efforts need to address the fundamental issues with the way wool is grown, processed and marketed.”

Raised on a family sheep and beef farm in Mid-Canterbury, O’Sullivan left sheep farming on the Canterbury Plains when his family moved to Hawke’s Bay.

In 2009, following the family’s purchase of Pukenui Station, and after completing a commerce and marketing degree at Lincoln University, O’Sullivan exited corporate life to take up the challenge of hands-on farming in the hills of southern Hawke’s Bay.

“Over three generations of farming sheep, my family has seen the highs and lows of the wool industry,” he said.

“Sadly, in the past 10 years overseeing our farming enterprise in Hawke’s Bay, I have witnessed the dramatic decline in the strong wool price to where in 2019, for the first time ever in my family’s history with wool, the cost to shear our animals exceeded the revenue we received for it by $6,500.

“Unbelievably, in part due to covid-19, the cost of wool to our farming business has increased in the past 12 months to a staggering $25,000.

“This is deadly serious and unless we can collectively move the industry in a new transformational direction, we are seriously facing the possibility of a sunset industry,” he said.

“I see my role as chairman for the Campaign as critical in doing all we can to unlock a new future for this backbone industry of our country.”

In 2021, in line with wider industry strategy, O’Sullivan will drive the campaign towards facilitating ease of access for consumers to find and source commercial entities in a move aimed at growing demand for wool fibre.

“We (the Campaign) believe that this is the solution to the strong wool industry,” he said.

“Up until now we have been a one-trick pony largely focused on floor coverings.

“We will shift that focus to a much larger suite of products than just floor carpets in homes.”

Research already undertaken by the campaign shows floor coverings capture just 10% of the market.

“Potentially this can get to 30%, and as well we are working with companies in furniture and bedding, wool coverings for the likes of curtain fabrics, and insulation, for a whole range of home and office environments,” he said.

“If we get a wider range of wool products it will solve the strong wool issues.”

The Campaign for Wool funded a specialist marketing and agri-business strategist to scope up a document of possible new transformational strategy for the NZ strong wool industry.

This proposal was presented to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and industry stakeholders in August last year.

The response was positive but since then the Strong Wool Action Group (SWAG) has been established and kicked into gear.

While the SWAG initiative has effectively put on hold the strategy work, the campaign has started.

“We will be watching developments very closely and looking to complement what SWAG is doing, where possible,” he said.

The campaign will continue to support existing manufacturers, while also getting alongside companies that are seeing the consumer move away from synthetics to wool.

“We will have more focus on supporting those companies to get a wider range of products.”

O’Sullivan wants to see more accountability from the global initiative.

“In the past, spending has been more on a generic basis, I want to see greater accountability and visibility on that spend,” he said.

“Every dollar is critical to benefit the NZ strong wool industry.”

In the meantime, the campaign will continue its promotional activities with presence planned at the Auckland Home Show next month, and the Wanaka Show in March.

The focus at these events will be on promoting businesses making and selling woollen products.

The Wools in Schools project will continue in 2021 with creating a profile for the campaign, and the NZ strong wool industry series will also continue in the North and South Magazine.

“We are targeting many different demographics as we profile businesses making innovative wool products as well as several influential personalities who are big advocates for the use of natural, environmentally-friendly wool fibre,” he said.

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