Galway Sheep farmers are set to be offered a price of €2.50/kg for their wool at the annual Native Irish Wool Harvest.
The event, organised by the Galway Wool Co-op, takes place on July 22, in Athenry, Co. Galway.
After the co-op covers its running costs, it is expected each farmer will be paid up to €2/kg for clean, rolled wool, dag-free, from registered purebred Galway Sheep.
The co-op is a voluntary organisation, with all the members giving freely of their time to restore the cultural integrity of native Irish Galway wool.
Each year, hundreds of hours are given voluntarily to promote Galway Wool and organise the harvest, now known as the Galway Wool Meitheal.
Dooleys Wool, which only uses Irish-grown wool in its products, have sponsored this year’s best fleece award.
Galway Sheep
This year, the Galway Sheep wool will be harvested to supply raw material for a first-of-its-kind Irish-grown wool traceability study, undertaken by the MiCRA research team at the Technical University of Dublin (TU Dublin), Tallaght campus
The wool will provide a clear supply chain, with minimum variables for a host of wool businesses with traceability and accountability at the core of their sustainability ethos.
Stakeholders can track the journey of wool from its source to the final product, ensuring that it meets specific standards and quality requirements.
This transparency builds trust among consumers, as they can verify the origin and authenticity of the wool, ensuring they are purchasing a genuine Irish-grown wool product.
Improved traceability also makes it easier to monitor and ensure compliance with sustainable farming practices, animal welfare standards, and environmental regulations.