The NFU is showing its support for the British Wool Marketing Board (BWMB), urging farmers that collaboration is key to growing the market returns for wool.
From farm to product
BWMB, the non-profit organisation, represents 45,000 wool producers and has been collecting, grading, promoting and selling British fleece wool since the 1950’s.
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They are involved in all aspects of the industry and actively support the future of the UK sheep sector. One way in particular they are committed to this is by having its own training division for shearers and trains around 1,000 shearers a year.
Working together is crucial for growth
The NFU believe that the BWMB are crucial to growing the sector in many ways, including working with sheep farmers to promote wool on a global scale, in order to achieve the best possible price.
Speaking to Farming UK, NFU Livestock Board Chairman, Charles Sercombe, expresses that although there is volatility in the market place at present, a strong producer organisation such as BWMB competing in the global market is crucial.
“Clearly, working together and collaboration are key to growing the market returns for wool which unfortunately remain relatively poor. How we grow its value to the producer is an ongoing challenge. So with a producer organisation such as the BWMB, we continue to rely on them to achieve the best possible returns for producers.
“This collective strength also ensures wool producers can maximise the value of their wool – wool is a global commodity and British wool amounts to only two per cent of the world’s wool production.”
Driving demand
BWMB Chairman Ian Buchanan also agrees that with wool prices under pressure this year, driving demand is essential: “It would be easy to look at the overall average price for all wools, however, of greater interest and importance are the individual breed prices.
“Of course no one wants to see wool prices slipping and that is why BWMB is investing in new marketing initiatives to drive demand.”
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