Signs of reduced emphasis on wool handling were showing up in the low use of the Q-stencil stamp on wool bales, indicating its high quality, NZ Wool Classers Association executive officer Bruce Abbott said.
He believed farmers were asking shearing teams for cheaper rates to match the low crossbred wool prices and that could be achieved only by having fewer shed hands.
So the senior shed hands with level 4 qualifications, who were qualified to use the Q stencil to grade wool, were not doing so because they were not happy with the resources going into the wool handling and the quality of the baled wool.
They didn’t want to be associated with poor workmanship.
The issue seemed to a general problem around the country, Abbott said.
Crossbred wool prices were low but the evidence was that well prepared wool was still selling relatively easily but that poorly prepared wool wasn’t and was left languishing in storage.
Unsold wool was a cost to farmers and they could do more to make it more sellable by taking the right action at shearing time.
The Q stencil was a worthy qualification, which the association had been promoting over the last few years, he said.
It was disappointing to see it not being used.
“I’m sure farmers don’t rush to buy a product which is not well presented and prepared so why do they allow their wool clip to be presented so poorly?
“It’s taken the farmer six to 12 months to grow the wool and in a few minutes in the shed they discount all the work they’re putting in.”
The reduced number of wool handlers in the shed meant they were very over-worked and undervalued and that was contributing to the problems attracting staff into the wool harvesting industry.
That came at a time when there was a big move towards accountability and traceability of wool, especially for fine wools but also for crossbred wool in a minor way.
Wool was an amazing, natural product and the industry had to work hard on preparation to bring buyers back to it, he said.
