At a regional level, the Northern Indicator fell 15¢ to 1,229¢/kg, the Southern dropped 22¢ to 1,166¢/kg, and the Western dipped 10¢ to 1,353¢/kg, helped slightly by demand for fine, high-yielding lots.
Merino fleece prices were mostly lower. The Southern 17.5 MPG recorded the largest fall, down 43¢ to 1,574¢/kg. The Northern equivalent eased only 2¢ to 1,619¢/kg, reflecting better-quality supply. The Northern 18.5 MPG fell 14¢ to 1,554¢/kg, and the 19.5 MPG slipped 4¢ to 1,497¢/kg. In contrast, the Western 18 and 19 MPGs rose 15¢ and 9¢ respectively, as buyers targeted better-prepared, high-yield fleece.
Broader Merino categories also declined. The 20 MPG fell 21¢ in the north, 29¢ in the south, and 21¢ in the west. The 21 MPG dropped 31¢ in the south and 29¢ in the west.
Crossbred prices were mixed but mostly steady. The 28 MPG rose 5¢ to 425¢/kg in the north but eased 3¢ to 427¢/kg in the south. The 30 MPG held firm at 372¢/kg in the north but slipped 3¢ to 360¢/kg in Melbourne.
Cardings also eased, with the Merino Carding Indicator down 9¢ in the north (714¢/kg) and 15¢ in the south (709¢/kg), but up 1¢ in Fremantle (729¢/kg).
A growing volume of lower-style wool continued to pressure the market this week. AWEX noted style 6 and 7 fleece rising to 15% in the South and 23% in the West, up from 1% and 2% in 2024. This quality decline likely contributed to the elevated pass-in rates, particularly in Fremantle, where the rate reached 23.2%.
This week in Mecardo (see article here), Andrew Woods highlights a 14.2% and 19% drop in Australian wool production in the east and west to April 2025. Yet the EMI at 1,191¢/kg remains flat due to weak global demand. Sub-17-micron wools gained slightly, while medium microns fell 20–30 cents. Reduced supply may improve wool’s price ratio against cotton and polyester in the long term, but economic headwinds continue to limit gains.
Wool dips as quality slips
Next week
Next week’s national offering is forecast at 33,067 bales across all centres, with Fremantle selling on Tuesday only
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Data sources: AWEX,, Mecardo
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