Australian wool in review 2024-25

AWTA (see extra right here) volumes in 2024-25 had been 11.8% decrease in complete farm bales examined in Australia. In 2025-26, the AWTA are altering state-based volumes from the place wool is examined to utilizing the extra correct wool statistical space so the state volumes replicate manufacturing. In adjusted clear phrases, the merino part of the AWTA volumes was down 12% for the season in comparison with the earlier season, and the non-merino part was down 14%.

Determine 1 reveals a time sequence of the merino and non-merino parts of AWTA (farm bales) from the mid-Nineteen Nineties to 2024-25. In 2024-25 merino volumes fell to 2019-2020 ranges, which had been depressed by the arrival of the pandemic. Non-merino volumes, whereas decrease, are nonetheless above 2019-2021 ranges.

It often pays to think about modifications in provide and worth collectively, one issue offering context for the opposite. Within the wool market, modifications in quantity are mirrored in modifications in relative costs, premiums and reductions or worth ratios. Modifications in provide usually are not often uniform throughout the completely different micron classes, because the fibre diameter distributions transfer finer and broader in response to modifications in breeding and seasonal circumstances. With this in thoughts, Determine 2 reveals the 12 months on 12 months change in Australian AWTA volumes (line) by micron class in addition to the change in public sale worth (bars).

Common costs in 2024-25 elevated for 13 micron and finer, and 19 micron and broader wool. In distinction, costs fell for 14 to 18 micron. Provide elevated for 16 micron and finer wool, falling for 17 micron and broader merino and crossbred classes. Decrease provide for broader merino appears to be like to have helped push costs up barely, whereas the elevated provide of finer merino wool pushed costs decrease, with the important thing exception of the very fantastic micron classes (12 and 13 micron). For the crossbred classes, decrease provide appears to be like to have helped push costs greater.

On the provision facet wool manufacturing is going through critical challenges from elevated prices and low costs in relation to competing enterprises, particularly prime lamb. Seasonal circumstances have additionally been a serious constraint throughout 2024-25.  Determine 3 reveals the 12 month rainfall rank for states (weighted throughout sheep areas inside every state) with the bubble measurement displaying the proportion of wool gross sales from every state through the season. The rainfall rank is calculated utilizing knowledge from the previous 40 years. As a rule it’s the change in seasonal circumstances which correlates to vary in manufacturing (sheep numbers, fibre diameter, clear fleece weights). Nevertheless Determine 3 reveals the rainfall rank as each Victoria and South Australia had very low ranks (within the first decile), a mixed area accounting for 38% of wool gross sales.

The numerous forms of wool are used primarily in attire and wool costs have a powerful correlation to the foremost attire fibre costs. Desk 1 reveals the season on season change in worth for a spread of wool and different attire fibre worth sequence. It reveals that wool costs carried out higher than the non-wool fibres, helped by the decrease provide proven in Determine 2. Costs for crossbred and downs had been the star turns (off low bases), rising by 15% and 21%. The typical merino worth was up a marginal 1.5%. In distinction the non-wool staple fibre (NWSF) costs sequence, which is a weighted common worth of cotton, polyester, acrylic and viscose, fell by 7.5%. Cotton fell by 13% and even cashmere was down by 1%. The weak efficiency of non-wool attire fibres illustrates the poor demand current for attire fibres usually.