Flock rebuild sees wool production lift to highest level for years

The sheep industry has thrown off the shackles of drought-induced lows as the national flock continues to grow.

The rebuild of Australia’s sheep flock has pushed wool production to its highest level for years.

A flock estimate of nearly 75 million sheep is expected to produce 340 million kilograms of wool this season in the biggest clip since 2016.

A group of industry stakeholders, which make up the Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee, made the predictions of flock size and wool clip, and with good rain, production and numbers are on the increase.

The national shearing tally is close to 75 million sheep for the 2022/2023 financial year.

The forecast number of sheep shorn for 2021/2022 is up 4.6 per cent on 2020/2021 while the predicted 340 million kilogram clip size is up 5 per cent.

Committee chairman Stephen Hill said big spring rain in wool growing regions had supported producers intentions to keep building up flock numbers but it was not as simple as rainfall increasing production.

“The season is not without its challenges,” Mr Hill said.

“Continued wet conditions with lower average temperatures have negatively impacted pasture feed quality with many producers facing difficulties in accessing waterlogged or flooded paddocks to manage sheep flocks and pasture.

“The wetter season has increased the hazard posed by internal and external sheep parasites which has negatively impacted on sheep production, especially younger sheep.”

Mr Hill said the climatic conditions were distorting shearing patterns, wool receival and Australian Wool Testing Authority figures.

Wool has been slower to come to wool stores and be sold thanks to the challenges of the wet spring.

“The large number of rainy days during spring and early summer has delayed shearing due to wet sheep and difficulties in keeping sufficient dry sheep for shearing to continue,” Mr Hill said.

“Delays are also occurring in logistics between the farmgate and broker stores resulting in AWTA test volumes being lower than expected in the first half of the season.”

NSW remains the country’s biggest wool growing state, and has increased its clip size from 99.2 million kilograms in 2021/2022 to projections of 116.9 million kilograms for the current season. a lift of 18 per cent.

Victoria’s clip is also expected to rise from the 70.7 million kilograms in 2021/2022 to 77.8 million kilograms this season, up 10 per cent in two years.