Despite recent rains, Australian shorn wool production is forecast to be slightly lower in 2005/06 as a result of the drought in the eastern states and South Australia.
In the latest figures released today by the Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) Production Forecasting Committee, the forecast for Australian shorn wool production in the 2005/06 season is 470 million kilograms (mkg), one per cent down on the 2004/05 season.
Committee Chairman Dr David James said fleece weights for the upcoming spring shearings would be down as a result of the dry autumn in the eastern states and South Australia.
"In all states except Western Australia (WA), average fleece weights for the season are expected to be marginally lower than in the 2004/05 season," Dr James said.
"Lower fleece weights for sheep shorn in the first half of the 2005/06 season are forecast as a result of the lack of rainfall this autumn - particularly through April, May and into early June when there is normally significant pasture growth."
Dr James said that in contrast to the dry conditions in eastern Australia, the start to the WA season had been exceptional, with the early start to the autumn break in early April sustained by rain through autumn. This, combined with the relatively warm autumn temperatures until only a few weeks ago, brought ideal conditions for pasture growth, he said.
"The net result is that in WA, some woolgrowers in the Great Southern region have pastures a foot high moving into winter, with fleece weights expected to increase substantially for sheep shorn this spring," Dr James said.
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
