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The 15,000 bales of South Island wool on offer this week saw an 82% clearance and a generally dearer market overall, fully recovering from the previous weeks' North Island softer sale on April 18.
New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd's marketing executive, Paul Steel reports the currency factor had practically no influence this week with the weighted indicator firming only 0.11%.
Steel advises that most pressure came on the Chinese types with fine crossbred fleece firming 1% and the shears lifting between 3 and 7%.
Average style coarse fleece were 3 to 5% stronger with poorer styles 1.5 to 4% dearer. Coarse shears were generally 1.5 to 2.5% firmer.
Short, fine First Lambs were 1% dearer with coarser types generally 2 to 3.5% softer.
Long oddments lifted up to 5% with short oddments firm overall.
There was competition with China principal, supported by Australasia, Western Europe, Middle East, United Kingdom and India.
The next sale May 2 comprises about 4,900 bales from the North Island, down 34% on anticipated roster due to the shorter intake week and recent poorer weather conditions restricting shearing.
While wool returns continue in the doldrums, smart sheep farmers are looking for alternatives for a product that currently cost more to get off a sheep's back than it's worth. One such initiative is run by husband and wife team Hayden and Anastasia Tristram who farm at Wanstead in the Central Hawke's Bay. Mark Daniel reports.
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