30,287 copies distributed monthly – to every rural mailbox in Canterbury and the West Coast
July 2019 Edition
INSIDE
THIS EDITION Future farming
p5 Farm machinery
p17 Winter lifestyle
p26 Calving
p34
Upside: Shifting half of New Zealand’s crossbred wool clip into higher value fine wool contracts would provide an economic upside of around $2 billion according to the New Zealand Merino Company.
The economic upside of higher value fine wool contracts Increased international demand for fine wool could spell profit for sheep farmers and give kiwifruit and wine exports a run for their money.
❚ by Kent Caddick That’s according to the VF Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies, which is incentivising New Zealand’s sheep industry to grow more fine wool. According to New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) CEO John Brakenridge there is a future in wool for farmers and for New Zealand which is great news for fine wool producers
and farmers considering transitioning into it. “Global demand for natural fibre and NZM owned ethical wool brand ZQ Merino is swinging the pendulum in wool’s favour,” Brakenridge says. “We are connecting more and more wool growers with long term supply contracts and we are seeing supply being soaked up seasons in advance. “Today a crossbred wool fleece fetches approximately $3.00 clean/kg whereas cur-
rently a Smartwool 22 micron contract going forward for the next 3-5 years has a base price of over $20 clean/kg. “If we can shift half of New Zealand’s crossbred wool clip into higher value fine wool contracts, the economic upside would be around $2 billion. Wool could give kiwifruit and wine a run for their money in terms of exports,” he says.
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