The US based National Retail Federation (NRF) is strongly pushing for a 'National Wool Declaration' to sort out the mulesing issue. NRF has sent off letters to the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) and Agriculture Minister Tony Burke, to make the declaration mandatory.
The letter mentions that the declaration will help wool growers to move towards non-mulesing methods as well as customers will be able to obtain the supply-chain traceability they need in order to make informed sourcing decisions.
As of now only 38 percent of wool sold is declared as mulesed or unmulesed. Farmers are still reluctant to go in for mulesing alternatives as there is no premium attached to the wool prices by adopting new methods of shearing wool.
On the other hand, members of the NRF are not willing to fork out a premium for non-mulesed wool. All this has created a stalemate. Farmers are of the opinion that they will start filling up the declaration forms when the deadline ends, which is end-2010.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
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