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DailyDigest: July 17, 2020

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Oh dear. There’s a fair bit of whinging going on that the wool report didn’t produce a magic bullet to solve the industry’s slump.
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Some complain they weren’t consulted and if the Project Action Group was a bit on an old-boys’ club then they have a legitimate gripe. Wool’s woes won’t be solved by factionalism and cliques. But the same people complaining about the lack of a solution or any detailed, concrete plan say the Government must let the industry drive the solution. Hang on, hasn’t the industry had about 50 years since the demise of the Wool Board to do something. People keep saying, and have been saying for as long as I can remember, there’s a lot of good work going on in the background. Maybe so, but where are the results?

There is unlikely to be one single product that lifts wool out of the doldrums. We need to get our innovative brains working on multiple products for the modern world. Apart from Australia no one else is going to do anything because most of the world’s wool comes from us and them. However, we also need to work on attitudes. People have moved away from wool products to synthetics. I fail to understand how we cannot sell wool in a world crying out for pure and natural products. Is our market so abysmal we can’t get that simple message across? Let’s get our act together. We can do it.

Stephen Bell

Wool revival coming

South Island farmer Kate Acland says the Government’s report on the wool industry is a chance for the sector to come together and realise its potential.

A Fonterra of wool is necessary

The wool industry needs a real plan to be profitable and the Government’s vision and action report for wool has failed to deliver, according to some industry leaders.

UK trade deal still some way off

Britain is scrambling for trade deals before it leaves the European Union at the end of the year. Nigel Stirling asks just how easy getting a free-trade deal with the United Kingdom will be for New Zealand.

Good demand pushes prices

Wool grower Scott McFadden from The Acheron, North Canterbury, was on hand with PGG Wrightson auction manager Dave Burridge to see the sale of 52 bales of his halfbred wool at the South Island wool sale on Thursday. Despite the difficult market conditions McFadden said he was happy with the outcome.

Bank credit squeeze may have peaked

Farmers might find it a bit tougher to borrow in the next six months but there are signs the credit crunch they have faced in recent times may be easing.

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