AUSTRALIA'S shorn wool production for 2015/16 is set to decline by 7 per cent to 322 million kilograms greasy (mkg), a drop from the estimated 346 mkg for the 2014/15 season.
The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee (AWPFC) released its revised forecast today, with the decline reflecting a combination of a 4.8pc fall in shorn sheep numbers and a 2.3pc drop in average fleece weights.
Australia's shorn wool production for 2015/16 is set to decline.
In a statement, AWPFC chairman Russell Pattinson said seasonal conditions in a number of the major sheep producing regions in Australia have been drier than expected over Spring which has resulted in lower fleece weights and, more recently, reports of increased sheep turn-off.
"Victoria, Tasmania, the south-east and north-west of South Australia, and the Great Southern region in Western Australia have all experienced difficult seasons. Among other things this has caused problems with stock water availability," he said.
“The major sheep regions of Queensland continue to see very tough conditions and the sell-off of sheep continues in that State.
"Even in NSW, there are areas where seasonal conditions have been more difficult than expected.
"These tough conditions are only being partially offset by good to very good conditions in north-eastern South Australia and parts of NSW.”
The 7pc decline comes following six seasons of relatively stable wool production of between 340 and 350 mkg greasy.
The AWPFC’s final estimate of shorn wool production for the 2014/15 season of 346 mkg is an increase of 1.7pc over the previous season.
As noted in August, this increase is in line with, but less than, the increase seen in AWTA tests, ABS wool receivals and AWEX auction offerings for 2014/15.
Some of the increase in wool tests, receivals and auction offerings late in the 2014/15 season was attributed to the release of on-farm stocks held over from previous seasons as well as the forward offering of wool held in brokers’ stores and earlier than usual deliveries of recently shorn wool in response to the spike in wool prices in May and June.