An experienced provider is being sought by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to undertake a study into potential markets for wool products.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Pippa Hackett announced the news as she launched a competitive public procurement procedure this morning (Friday, July 9).
The procedure seeks service providers to conduct a review of potential demand in domestic and international markets for wool based products such as insulation and fertilisers.
Commenting on the wool feasibility study, Minister Hackett said: “As a sheep farmer myself I am only too aware of the amount of wool, sheared in the last couple of months, which cannot command a good price.
“We must change that by finding new ways of using it and new markets. That is why I am looking for an experienced provider to carry out this feasibility study.
“I want it to look at the potential demand in domestic and international markets for wool based products taking into account the submissions received in the recent Stakeholder Engagement Survey, and I expect it to be completed by November.
“Wool is plentiful in this country. It is a sustainable and renewable product, so it makes great sense for us to see where its potential lies. While its use in textiles is of course established, it is also an organic, low carbon, natural material which can perhaps be used, viably, in a wide range of products such as fertilisers, insulation and packaging.
“I expect the feasibility study when produced will assist me in developing a roadmap for the Irish wool industry.
“And with the help and guidance of a Wool Forum Stakeholder Group which I am establishing, I also expect it to help me to shape future policy on wool as envisaged in the Programme for Government,” the minister of state concluded.
For those interested, a tender was posted yesterday on the eTenders website, which can be accessed here. The deadline for submissions is 5:00p.m on August 8, 2021.