Wool production
Shorn wool (greasy wool) contains an appreciable amount of grease, dirt, vegetable matter and other material. The exact quantities of these impurities in the fleece vary with climatic and pastoral conditions, seasonal fluctuations and the breed and condition of the sheep. It is, however, the clean wool fibre that is ultimately consumed by the textile industry, and the term 'clean yield' is used to express the net wool fibre content present in greasy wool.
The gross value of wool produced in 2000-01 increased to $2.5b (table 16.57), but was still less than half the value recorded in 1988-89 ($5.9b), the peak year in the wool boom of the 1980s.
16.57 SHEARING, WOOL PRODUCTION AND VALUE
|
 | | Wool production | |
| |
| |
| | | Total wool | |
| | |
| |
| Sheep and lambs shorn | Average fleece weight | Shorn wool | Other wool(a) | Quantity | Gross value(b) |
| mill. | kg | ’000 tonnes | ’000 tonnes | ’000 tonnes | $m |
|
| 1994-95 | 155.3 | 4.37 | 679.4 | 50.1 | 729.5 | 3,319.3 |
| 1995-96 | 146.7 | 4.40 | 646.1 | 43.6 | 689.7 | 2,559.7 |
| 1996-97 | 156.4 | 4.37 | 685.0 | 46.1 | 731.1 | 2,621.2 |
| 1997-98 | 155.5 | 4.12 | 640.7 | 48.9 | 689.6 | 2,753.9 |
| 1998-99 | 147.9 | 4.32 | 638.8 | 48.8 | 687.6 | 2,141.0 |
| 1999-2000 | 142.7 | 4.50 | 642.3 | 52.5 | 694.8 | 2,149.2 |
| 2000-01 | 136.8 | 4.30 | 589.8 | 54.9 | 644.7 | 2,530.9 |
|
(a) Comprises dead and fellmongered wool, and wool exported on skins.
(b) Gross value for shorn wool is based on the average price realised for greasy wool sold at auction; for skin wools the gross value is based on prices recorded by fellmongers and skin exporters. |
Source: Agriculture, Australia (7113.0); Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0); ABARE, 'Australian Commodities, March Quarter 2000'. |
Wool receivals
The total amounts of taxable wool received by brokers and purchased by dealers in recent years are shown in table 16.58. They exclude wool received by brokers on which tax had already been paid by other dealers (private buyers) or brokers.
16.58 TAXABLE WOOL RECEIVALS
|
| Receivals | |
|
| |
| Brokers | Dealers | Brokers and dealers | Brokers as proportion
of total receivals |
| ’000 tonnes | ’000 tonnes | ’000 tonnes | % |
|
| 1994-95 | 567.0 | 112.5 | 679.4 | 83.5 |
| 1995-96 | 552.9 | 93.1 | 646.1 | 85.6 |
| 1996-97 | 565.2 | 119.9 | 685.0 | 82.5 |
| 1997-98 | 524.0 | 116.7 | 640.7 | 81.8 |
| 1998-99 | 526.9 | 111.8 | 638.8 | 82.5 |
| 1999-2000 | 517.5 | 124.8 | 642.3 | 80.6 |
| 2000-01 | 487.2 | 102.6 | 589.8 | 82.6 |
|
| Source: Livestock Products, Australia (7215.0). |
The article The wool industry - looking back and forward outlines the history and prospects of the wool industry.
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