This slow motion train wreck has been agonising to watch – and even worse for those directly involved. The irony should not be lost that one of the largest producers of synthetic fibre which led to wool’s demise is now partnering with Wools of New Zealand and could potentially transform the sector.
The reasons strong crossbred wool is on its knees can be sheeted home to a lack of co-ordinated marketing and funding. The former Wool Board had its critics but wool’s demise accelerated after the board was wound up, ending levy-funded marketing and promotion.
The sector has been looking for an ultimate solution but so far new products absorbing vast amounts of wool and providing reasonable returns have been elusive. As we report this week the entry of one of the largest corporations in the world, DuPont, will provide the marketing and development horsepower individual wool companies have not been able to fund.
Wool companies have had the significant obstacle of re-educating consumers about the merits of wool, securing showroom space and batting aside the blatant lies and misrepresentation by radical vegan groups such as Peta and claims shearing involves the removal of skin. But increasingly exporters reveal a major obstacle for wool has been the incentives offered by synthetic manufacturers to sales staff for selling their products.
Should this partnership work – and for the sake of the industry we should all hope it does – the impact could go beyond improving the price and demand to just Wools of New Zealand suppliers but to sheep farmers nationally. DuPont’s marketing reach and retail links will hopefully promote wool’s sustainable and natural features and its massive network of researchers could discover new uses. This investment is a badly needed lifeline and potentially a game changer for the sector, a rare opportunity that must not be squandered.
