Christchurch has only a small yarding of 4595 bales, with a 7% pass-in rate. In Napier, the offer was 10,614 bales and the pass-in rate was just 4%.
There was keener Asian buying, PGG Wrightson South Island sales manager Dave Burridge said.
For lambs wool in Christchurch, 27 micron sold up to $5.47/kg clean, up 45c on a week earlier; 31 micron was $3.72/kg clean, up 31c; and 32 micron was up 27c at $3.55.
Full wool, good to average colour, was firmer across the board — 32 micron at $4.58, up 18c; 34 micron up 13c at $4.28; and small rises through the stronger grades up to a 10c rise for 39 micron at $4.10/kg clean.
For crossbred second shear, 37 micron 3 to 4 inches sold up 13c at $3.98, with 2 to 3 inches up 9c at $3.60; 39 micron 3 to 5 inches was at $4.00, up 16c; the same micron 2 to 3 inches was up 5c at $3.57.
At Napier, 29 micron lambs wool (2 to 3 inches) was up 57c to $4.31, compared to the February 16 sale; and the same length 32 micron was at $3.52.
Full wool, good to average colour, had 38 micron at $4.13/kg clean, and 39 micron at $3.86.
For crossbred second shear, 35 micron 2 to 3 inches was up 43c to $3.52; 37 micron 3 to 4 inches at $3.69, and 2 to 3 inches up 2c to $3.40.
Overall, any sound fleece met with good demand, and the gap between good and average styled wools closed in price, Wrightson’s North Island auctioneer, Steve Fussell said.