Top wool advocate bales out
The conversion of productive farmland into trees has pretty much annihilated the wool industry.
Investment in technology and assurance programmes led to Wools of New Zealand (WNZ) becoming the supplier for a new Marks and Spencer (M&S) clothing range, says Rosstan Mazey, WNZ chief executive.
M&S is one of the first major clothing retailers to launch a menswear range with wool certified under the global Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). The range contains men’s blazers and waistcoats made of NZ lambswool grown by RWS-accredited WNZ growers.
“This is wool in the 28-31 micron range, more traditionally used in the production of interior textiles. It’s a big step for crossbred wool and it’s tremendously exciting to see our wool moving into high-end attire,” says Mazey.
“It also validates our ongoing investment in the technologies and assurance programmes that allowed this to happen.”
Steven Parsons, brand and business development manager for Wools of New Zealand in the UK, says the RWS was imagined and developed in 2016 as the global standard for growing wool.
“Wools of New Zealand has joined a rapidly growing number of international brands and the Textile Exchange as strong advocates for RWS as a global wool production standard, providing an assurance to consumers that the wool they are buying has been grown to the highest possible standards of farm management and animal welfare.
“M&S represents a powerful partner in that respect, as they are able to influence the value chain and change attitudes towards fibre production. There is a new reality out there for producers and retailers: they need to be responsible for driving supply chains towards true sustainability.”
Mazey says 14 grower shareholders are now accredited under the RWS, in North and South Islands. “Through the launch of this new product we anticipate increased interest in our wool and RWS credentials. We expect more of our growers to become RWS-certified as market demand builds.”
Meanwhile, Carrfields Primary Wool (CP Wool) has announced a new US distribution partnership with J Mish.
Under the agreement, leading carpet business J Mish will design and manufacture carpets and rugs from yarn grown and spun in NZ. The products will then be distributed throughout the US via J Mish’s large network of dealer and designer relationships.
Colin McKenzie, chief executive of CP Wool, says the partnership will build on an existing relationship to increase the profile of New Zealand wool in the residential market in the US.
“We’re confident that J Mish has the reputation, resources and scale needed to put NZ wool carpet in front of consumers across the US, as a highly desirable and sustainable choice for soft flooring.”
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.