Quality US wool stressed by Sheep Org Prez Frischknecht
28 Apr '06
3 min read
From President Paul Frischknecht's Notes
- Help Improve the Reputation of U.S. Wool
Shearing season is underway for thousands of sheep operations and although it may last a day for some or a week for others, steps can be made prior to shearing to assist with wool quality-improvement efforts.
We are reminded of several key points from the American Sheep Industry's (ASI) American Wool Council which I relay in my column this month.
Sorting your sheep prior to shearing and packaging the wool separately can make a difference in the price you receive at the time of sale.
A problem is created at the mill level when they find a black-face fleece or polypropylene (poly) in a line of fine, white wool as it creates colored-fiber and poly contamination.
There are some wool-quality issues that can be reduced – therefore improving the reputation of US wool – by sorting sheep prior to shearing.
Those include a reduction of colored fibers in white-face wool, contamination of off-sorts, coarse wool found in finer-wool lines and cross contamination of fleeces from different wool types.
As ASI assists the US industry in opening new overseas markets, it is essential that we show we have quality wools and develop a good reputation. A bad reputation is harder to repair then no reputation! So, when a processor finds poly in a sample lot, this reflects on all US wool producers and makes impressions to those that will be buying wool in the future, which are international wool buyers.
Working and communicating with your wool warehouse or wool pool and shearers to tell them of the steps you have taken to increase your wool quality can also be a benefit. The reputation and price of US wool will never improve without these relationships.
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