The conundrum that is the Irish wool market could be solved on the back of one very easy to make decision – look north.
In other words, Ulster Wool should be encouraged to extend its remit across the rest of the island.
In so doing, two things would happen. First off, it would generate more competition for wool south of the border. And, more importantly, it would bring more – and much needed – transparency to the market.
Ulster Wool is the representative arm of British Wool in Northern Ireland. It is a farmer-owned cooperative and acts to secure the best possible price for its members courtesy of the monthly wool auctions held in Bradford, under the aegis of British Wool.
Irish wool price
Producer price transparency is guaranteed on the back of the market reports generated by the co-op and the calculations undertaken to work out the price each flockowner receives for wool supplied on an annual basis.
The relevance of all this to sheep farmers across the rest of the island is the fact that almost all Irish merchants sell to the UK’s two scouring companies, both of whom are major players at the Bradford auctions.
So why reinvent the wheel? Why not have the business that is directly involved with the hosting of the aforementioned auctions sourcing wool directly from primary producers across the island of Ireland.
In a post-Brexit, post- Northern-Ireland-Protocol world, it seems like a perfect plan to me.
There’s nothing to stop wool moving north-south in a totally unfettered manner.
Feasibility study
For the record, I welcome the confirmation that a ‘wool council‘ has now been recommended on the back of Irish government funding.
But it has got to be more than a talking shop. For too long, wool has been the forgotten sector of Irish agriculture. It’s hard to believe that wool was, at one time, the path to riches for many across these islands.
But that was then. Today, sheep farmers want to know if they will be paid enough to cover their clipping costs.
But, surely, our aspirations should be much greater than this, where wool is concerned.
Wool prices have increased significantly over the last number of months. The hotel, casino and cruise line sectors are now starting to invest again. This will translate into a growing demand for woollen carpets.
Wool is increasingly recognised as a fabric of the highest quality within the fashion industry. So the outlook for wool is on the up, across the board.
What’s needed is greater transparency within the market place to ensure that Irish sheep producers are not, dare I say it, ‘fleeced’.