Colin Harvey: “They’ve given us something to work on.”
This would include growers who are not now part of the various groups representing separate industry sectors, Wool Unity Group chairman Colin Harvey said.
“I think the Minister (for Primary Industries), the people in my group and KPMG as well think we need a specific wool grouping and we need to give the growers a voice on that.’’
The Wool Unity Group has received the strategic report, but some work was still needed before it would be made public. “They’ve given us something to work on.’’
Harvey wanted to involve Federated Farmers, the farmer group within Beef + Lamb New Zealand proposing a return of a wool levy, and Wools of NZ, presently undertaking a share issue to strong-wool sheep farmers.
An all-inclusive industry group would need to look at models in other parts of the agriculture sector to work out the best structure to adopt. It should also assist with the Campaign for Wool project, which is so far being carried in NZ by the wool merchants.
An industry body was also needed to take action on misleading claims on the quality and characteristics of synthetic carpets in comparison to wool, and also on groups in the United States falsely claiming they were selling carpets containing NZ wool. This practice could be halted using the ability to trace wool back to the grower.
Harvey believed wool research was being well looked after, with a number of projects being funded by Wool Industry Research Ltd.
