By any reasonable standard, the case for mandatory pain relief for mulesing is already settled, both practically and ethically. The reality is that the overwhelming majority of Australian wool producers have already moved in this direction, and government policy should now catch up with practice. WoolProducers recognised this as far back as 2018, and while our organisation is cautious about adding regulatory burden to woolgrowers, it was determined that the benefits of mandat

I am Craig Mitchell, my wife Susan and I run merino sheep and angus cattle on a farm at Countegany on the high plains of Monaro, southeast NSW. Running 8 to 10,000 Merino sheep and around 150 angus cows. We have also been actively involved in the management of a family grazing business south of Bombala, also Southeast NSW, running a full complement of sheep and cattle enterprises. In addition to my farming work, I advocate for the farming industry through the NSW Farm Associa

As members of the Austrade Trade Diversification Network, we are continuing to pursue opportunities to diversify export markets for Australian wool. With the support of Austrade funding we recently had the opportunity to spend four intensive days in Vietnam meeting with government officials, textile manufacturers, industrial park developers, and supply‑chain innovators. The purpose was clear: to advance the next phase of WoolProducers Australia’s Trade Diversification Plan an

As Australia faces continued uncertainty around national fuel security, WoolProducers Australia is working with the National Farmers Federation (NFF) and the Federal Government to proactively ensure the needs of woolgrowers and the broader wool supply chain are clearly understood and prioritised should fuel supply become an a tangible issue. As the situation in the Middle East started to evolve and the ramifications regarding both fuel and fertiliser supply started to emerge,

WoolProducers Australia have been provided with a copy of the letter from Elders Limited advising clients of their decision from July 2027 to cease the handling and selling of wool in Western Australia, with these functions set to be conducted in Melbourne from that date. Elders have cited the nearly 40% reduction in the Western Australian wool clip in recent years as a determining factor in this decision. WoolProducers notes and welcomes Elders ongoing commitment to the wool

Being appointed as an Independent Director of WoolProducers in 2025, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to write about a topic that has been a key focus for me in recent years, the carbon balance of wool producing enterprises. I manage Mount Hesse , one of Australia’s oldest and largest Merino sheep farms, which was acquired by the Suedwolle Group in 2002. Mount Hesse is home to over 25.000 adult ewes, producing up to 135,000 kg of greasy wool annually, with an average mic

The announcement of a long awaited Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the European Union (A-EU FTA) has been met with optimism from government and some non-ag industry sectors. Trade deals matter as they send important signals about economic partnership and shared values, but the A-EU FTA contains little improved value for ag, particularly for Australia’s red meat sector. But for Australia’s wool industry, the real test of this agreement will not be found in tariffs o

Welcome to 2026, it is heartening to start the year on a positive note with regards to the wool market, but I would also like to acknowledge the adversities that some of our growers faced over the summer period including those impacted by flooding, fires and dry conditions. In this month’s report, I will be taking a guess at a number of factors that I believe will impact the Australian wool industry over the next 12-months. After a bruising couple of years for woolgrowers and

The long road back home, to a career in Agriculture and Agriculture Advocacy. As a young child growing up on the family mixed farm in the Ganmain/Coolamon region in the eastern Riverina, I believed my course was set. I had finished school and had completed a farm management and wool classing course. Now home to a future in farming. I could not have been more wrong. It wasn't a bad plan, Dad wanted me home, the farm was not large, but there was plenty of work. Dad had just bou