Future of Wool 2020

[the wool man]

1/05/2020
A brief on fleece wool for this coming season:
I think everybody is aware of the critical times we are going through and our wool trade is probably the most affected in the Agri-world.
Farmers can shear their sheep as normal – but concerned for a lack of shearers as 20% of shearers come from Southern Hemisphere – could be an opportunity for the local lads!. They can deliver their wool to their selling points but not to hang around – unload, get your weight docket and speedily leave.
Markets are non-existence at present – Both Bradford scouring plants are closed mainly because the spinners are closed as the carpet manufacturers and other end users are – the chain reaction.
China is still out of the market in the main – as our wools are out of fashion currently. Our wools are 30 to 35micron and can only be spun to a heavy count of knitting yarn i.e. Aran or Chunky weights. Up to 5 or 6 years our wools were manufactured into yarns and sent to the provinces for hand knitting into heavy garments and we could sell 1,000’s of tons. Now huge numbers of these folk have moved into centrally heated tower blocks in new cities and no longer require heavy garments – hence light weights made from Merino wool is all the rage and merino prices are at an all-time high.
We, as Laurence Pierce (Wool Merchants) Ltd, having c. 15% of the English fleece wool market, face a never before seen future. We sell our wools 33% forward by 1^st of June zero sold to date – balance on the spot market – will there be one?
Our options: we will be in a position to receive wool at our 35 intake points until we run out of space unless the chain is open by then. We will have to speculate on what the price might be but it will be very low. We may have to offer to make a price when we get a price!
Our customers received between 50 & 60p prompt payment last season!
It’s a shame to see the wool business as a waste disposal business. The commodity that built Great Britain over 3 centuries. A few more tweed jackets, Aran sweaters or square meters of carpets is not going to solve the problem – we must think outside the box and come up with new uses to take up large volumes of our wools.
Vincent Pierce. M.D.
Laurence Pierce (Wool Merchants) Ltd.

[Gee]

Simple solution.....pack it and put it away somewhere dry....
Might have to sit a year...maybe two.....rather that than give it away!
Not an option for everyone....but plenty of people have done it.
Its a crop! It’s up to you when you sell it!

[Ironhead]

1/05/2020
A brief on fleece wool for this coming season:
. . .
we must think outside the box and come up with new uses to take up large volumes of our wools.
Vincent Pierce. M.D.
Laurence Pierce (Wool Merchants) Ltd.

I think you have already come up with the answer, but don't think outside the box, throw that dammed box away and start thinking anew.
Besides the pandemic, what is in the headlines across the world most days? "Climate Change" - "Climate Emergency" - "Climate . . ."
Your wool is a heavier wool - promote it as a way to reduce energy consumption in home heating (warm clothing), natural fibers rather than synthetic (petrochemical industry) in winter clothing, . . . Reinvent what it is used for.

[john maddock]

I think you have already come up with the answer, but don't think outside the box, throw that dammed box away and start thinking anew.
Besides the pandemic, what is in the headlines across the world most days? "Climate Change" - "Climate Emergency" - "Climate . . ."
Your wool is a heavier wool - promote it as a way to reduce energy consumption in home heating (warm clothing), natural fibers rather than synthetic (petrochemical industry) in winter clothing, . . . Reinvent what it is used for.

In Aus., we can buy it as insulation for buildings, in place of fibreglass. I don't have a price comparison (presumably it is higher) but it has a place on the market.

JV

[Ironhead]

In Aus., we can buy it as insulation for buildings, in place of fibreglass. I don't have a price comparison (presumably it is higher) but it has a place on the market.

JV

huuum - I wonder what R value it has?

[Gee]

https://www.thermafleece.com/

[Ironhead]

https://www.thermafleece.com/

Interesting read - thanks for the link

[the wool man]

Sheepwool Insulation

https://www.sheepwoolinsulation.com/

Is a company owned by Laurence Pierce Wool.
We have acoustic and thermal insulation using 100% wool - no additives whatsoever..
Yes it is quite expensive but there is a growing market of green awareness clients
and this announcement today in UK of £5,000 home insulation Voucher should be a great help.
We are also working on 'Toxin absorption panels' and sound reduction panels which we think will have a great future.

https://www.lehner-wool.com/en/silentum

Doing our bit for wool and always looking for new ideas.
Vincent Pierce

[the wool man]

Press release.
Sheepwool Insulation Ltd. would like to announce we are now using only 100% UK and Irish wool in our products.
Due to the collapse in fleece wool prices we are in a position to afford this and hopefully it will, over time, improve producer prices.
We are affiliated to Laurence Pierce (Wool Merchants) Ltd, who now buy directly from producers through c. 50 intake points throughout these islands.
We thank you for your continued support.

1/05/2020
A brief on fleece wool for this coming season:
I think everybody is aware of the critical times we are going through and our wool trade is probably the most affected in the Agri-world.
Farmers can shear their sheep as normal – but concerned for a lack of shearers as 20% of shearers come from Southern Hemisphere – could be an opportunity for the local lads!. They can deliver their wool to their selling points but not to hang around – unload, get your weight docket and speedily leave.
Markets are non-existence at present – Both Bradford scouring plants are closed mainly because the spinners are closed as the carpet manufacturers and other end users are – the chain reaction.
China is still out of the market in the main – as our wools are out of fashion currently. Our wools are 30 to 35micron and can only be spun to a heavy count of knitting yarn i.e. Aran or Chunky weights. Up to 5 or 6 years our wools were manufactured into yarns and sent to the provinces for hand knitting into heavy garments and we could sell 1,000’s of tons. Now huge numbers of these folk have moved into centrally heated tower blocks in new cities and no longer require heavy garments – hence light weights made from Merino wool is all the rage and merino prices are at an all-time high.
We, as Laurence Pierce (Wool Merchants) Ltd, having c. 15% of the English fleece wool market, face a never before seen future. We sell our wools 33% forward by 1^st of June zero sold to date – balance on the spot market – will there be one?
Our options: we will be in a position to receive wool at our 35 intake points until we run out of space unless the chain is open by then. We will have to speculate on what the price might be but it will be very low. We may have to offer to make a price when we get a price!
Our customers received between 50 & 60p prompt payment last season!
It’s a shame to see the wool business as a waste disposal business. The commodity that built Great Britain over 3 centuries. A few more tweed jackets, Aran sweaters or square meters of carpets is not going to solve the problem – we must think outside the box and come up with new uses to take up large volumes of our wools.
Vincent Pierce. M.D.
Laurence Pierce (Wool Merchants) Ltd.