“While current AWTA test volumes and broker recievals have held up well for the first five months of the current season, this is not expected to continue."
"Factors such as the need for cash flow by many farmers, the recent lift in wool prices and no delays in shearing for wet weather; are likely to mean that current AWTA test volumes are not fully reflecting an already small decline in production. The magnitude of this decline is expected to increase rapidly over the next 7 months.”
Given the impact the season is having on fleece weights and past breeding decisions, the volume of fine wool (19.5 micron & finer) is forecast to increase, although remaining below the level of 154 mkg greasy reached in the 2004/05 season.
For the first five months of the current season, the weight of fine wool tested by AWTA represents 35 percent of the total of all wool tested.
A full report of the latest forecasts will be available after 2.00pm Wednesday, 13 December on the AWI website. The next meeting of the AWI Production Forecasting Committee is scheduled for Thursday 22 March 2007.
The committee made no changes in its estimate of wool production for 2005/06. The 2005/06 final estimate is based on 106.5 million head of sheep and lambs shorn at an average of 4.33 kilograms per head (kg/hd).
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates the number of opening sheep and lambs at the beginning of the 2005/06 season was 101.1 million head.
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