Re: Sheep breeding

On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 08:57:14 +0100, Jim Webster wrote:

Interesting piece on Farming Today This Week about the Wool Marketing
Board and whether it should be kept/abolished/changed - DEFRA are
consulting on the subject atm. A Cumbrian farmer with herdwicks and a
local carpet manufacturer were among those interviewed. There was a
discussion at the end including Sean Rickart. You can probably guess
what his view about the future of the Wool Board was :-)


I think that there needs to be a change in either the minimum number of
sheep (have four and you have to sell to them)
The problem is without the board batching up and sorting wool we would be in
a milk situation where a handful of big buyers could just dictate the price.
We want an option where we can have privately contracts as well, so you
could sell direct to your local carpet factory.


I would be careful about abolishing the Wool board. Prices in Ireland
are significently below U.K. levels, there are effectively two or
three wool exporters operating, and a cartel exists. One of these
companys also buys in the Scots Borders area and gives the going price
there for wool.

When asked why they give more for Scots wool than Irish, the buyers
say that Scots wool is better presented, for instance the fleeces are
tied rather than just dropped into a pack, but the reason that they
are just packed in Ireland is that the price is so low, one can't
employ anyone to tie and pack the wool.

Couple of years ago, I changed wool buyers, and discovered that it was
just a matter of having a different lorry collecting the wool, it was
still delivered to the same depot!.



--
greymaus
Just Another Grumpy Old Man


.

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