Organic Wool on the Rise in Australia

September 11, 2007 at 1:55 am (GREEN BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS, ORGANIC FIBERS)

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Demand is surging. In a country that has steadfastly relied upon wool production– with some 25% of Australia’s land mass occupied by sheep flock, organic wool is taking hold among herders with for the first time, the highest premium on the market (20% over conventional fleeces). Looks like those Australians will be herding more and more of the organic curly haired ruminants!

clipped from www.treehugger.com
The incentive for graziers to embrace organic wool is the same as that attract food farmers. Better returns. Organic wool is fetching up to a 20% premium over conventional fleeces. Elders Wool Marketing Manager Michael Blake observed that organic wool needed to be treated as mainstream – such was the demand – rather than as a niche, one-off line.
wool continues to represent about 6% of the gross value of agricultural production, and our sheep flock of about 107 million curly haired ruminants apparently occupy some 25% of Australia’s land mass. Yet organic wool seemingly only makes up 1% of this renewable fibre crop.

sheep-in-paddock.jpg

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