Crossbred RWS premiums and volumes
Crossbred prices have, in the past year, recovered a lot of the price lost in 2019-2023 in both Australian and US dollar terms. On top of these price rises, premiums for RWS accredited wool have also rebounded, which is what this article looks at. As crossbred wool prices plunged to depressed price levels in the […]
Potential for wool to follow synthetics higher?
Synthetic fibres rely heavily (like most supply chains) on Oil, and the conflict in the Middle East presents a number of challenges for agricultural markets, here we take a look at the relationship of oil prices to merino wool and synthetic fibres. Oil is a vital source of energy in modern economies, accounting for 40% […]
Another look at the implications of an El Nino on rainfall
The mention of an El Nino has the scribes seeking forecasts and projections for agricultural commodities through production to price. This article takes a look at what an El Nino forecasts, using rainfall from various regions since 1979. Mecardo has covered the implications of El Nino to rainfall before in May 2023 (See article here). […]
A look at southern hemisphere merino wool production
The main southern hemisphere wool exporters (from west to east; South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Uruguay) are by default the major suppliers of merino wool to the supply chain. This article takes a look at the total supply of merino wool from these countries by micron, filtering the volumes for non-mulesed and RWS […]
Will a rising Australian dollar impact commodity prices?
The higher Australian dollar has prompted questions about the likely impact on local extensive agricultural commodity prices. Mecardo has covered this topic before. The relationship between commodity prices and the exchange rate is not a straight forward one, assuming you can predict the exchange rate which is a big assumption. It appears time to update […]
Broad merino price, volume and price ratio
Greasy wool prices have increased markedly this season, in the absence of any substantial improvement in macroeconomic indicators or major apparel fibre prices, the usual proxies for demand. This article takes a look at the epicentre of falling Australian wool production in the 20–22 micron range, in terms of supply, price, and the price ratio […]
AWTA volumes January 2026
AWTA core test volumes have begun 2026 well down on year-earlier levels, as the effects of a dry spring in south eastern Australia continue to play out in the new calendar year. This article takes a look at Australian wool supply. In farm bale terms, the January AWTA core test volumes were down 20.9% (go […]
New Zealand merino clip
In early December Mecardo looked at the New Zealand crossbred wool clip, which is the vast bulk of their production. In this article we take a look at the small merino component of the New Zealand wool clip. When it comes to understanding merino wool production in New Zealand there are a couple of key […]
Seasonal pattern in wool prices works again
The greasy wool market opened the New Year with a bang last week, as it does occasionally. This article takes a look at the opening price rise and how it sits with past behaviour in the market. Wool, as part of the greater apparel fibre market complex, tends to follow the general path of apparel […]
Australian merino wool supply by mules status
Wool production and supply tends to be reported on a gross basis, which smooths over differences due to breed and other quality factors (such as fibre diameter). With this in mind, this article takes a look at Australian auction sales, as a proxy for supply, for merino wool by mulesing status. Beginning in 2008–2009, wool […]
2025 in wool
With the last wool auction sales being held this week in Australia, and South Africa auctions already in recess, it is timely to look at how the greasy wool market finished 2025 compared to a year ago. For merino wool, there was little movement in price for the first half of 2025, with an abrupt […]
The New Zealand wool clip
In Australia, we tend to focus on our domestic wool production and changes to it in terms of volume and quality. Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand has traditionally been the great carpet wool producer, and they too have been experiencing major changes in wool production in recent decades, which this article takes a look […]