AWN In an environment where we need to minimise costs, wool preparation has never been more important to ensure woolgrowers are obtaining the best price for their clip.
AWN NSW manager Mark Hedley urges growers to put in extra effort when preparing clips. AWN wool specialists are there to assist and educate to maximise returns.
“The key factors driving returns are preparation and zero contamination. We are seeing a quantity of merino wool being presented without stencils or being presented unskirted,’’ he said.
“To maximise returns, clips need to be prepared and presented to suit market requirements. If this is not achieved, the grower is penalised. Woolgrowers need to talk to their brokers to ensure their preparation is of the highest standard.’’
Contamination and foreign objects in bales are another problem facing the industry and it is important to “keep the clip clean”.
“Bales need to be free of foreign materials and wool types shouldn’t be mixed. Sheds need to be kept free of foreign objects to minimise the risk,’’ Mark said.
“If contamination is not kept out of the shed and it feeds onto the mills, this can cause expensive monetary claims. We are seeing these mistakes daily and it all adds cost to the handling of wool throughout the pipeline.”
“I’m very mindful it is hard to find shed staff, but we must focus on preparation. When preparation standards aren’t maintained, we see exporters unable to put a line of wool into an order as it may contain stain or a skirty edge. Woolgrowers are also urged to take care with bale markings. Bales should be branded clearly and legibly, taking care not to abbreviate the station brand which should be the same on both the head and face of the bale.”
AWN clients are leading the way with the uptake of WoolClip, the website and mobile app developed by AWEX, allows the user to create wool specifications, consignments and NWDs which are designed to reduce workload and basic errors being seen on a day-to-day basis on classers’ reports.
“Duplicate bale numbers and misdescribed bales are alleviated as these types of mistakes are highlighted to the WoolClip user. WoolClip also ensures that the NWD is completed correctly and is valid. WoolClip also allows bales to be fully traceable with packs being scanned using the camera on a smartphone.”
“AWN is leading the charge when it comes to the uptake of WoolClip. This is technology that our overseas customers are screaming for and with traceability comes responsibility. WoolClip is a positive step forward and in the long run a cost saving initiative for the whole industry”.
Mark Hedley
Northern Wool Manager & Wool Trading Manager
