WoolProducers have recently spent time relationship building with India, in a move to foster relationships between the two countries. WoolProducers CEO, Ms Jo Hall, travelled to India in late October to engage with key government and industry stakeholders and explore trade expansion and risk mitigation opportunities for the Australian wool industry. Ms Hall said, “The visit proved integral in further strengthening our ties with India”. “A Roundtable held in Delhi on October 2

Peak grower body WoolProducers Australia, announced the results of its biennial election for independent directors at its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, 9 November. The successful candidates were Angus Hobson, Skye Ward and Simon Riddle. NSW grower Stacey Lugsdin and Victorian grower Helen Carrigan were unsuccessful. Office bearer positions for WoolProducers Australia were also determined at the AGM. Steve Harrison (President) and (Acting Vice President) were all elected

Peak woolgrower representative body, WoolProducers Australia, is frustrated at recent misinformed statements from AWI Chair, Jock Laurie, that there is no leadership (from farmer groups) at the moment in relation to animal welfare advocacy. WoolProducers undertakes extensive work in relation to sheep welfare, health and biosecurity on behalf of Australian woolgrowers both through representation and policy development. Recent work has included (but not limited to): Submissions

On 25th October I travelled to Canberra to attend the National Farmers Federation (NFF) members council. I would like to extend congratulations to David Jochinke for being elected the new President. John Hassell who will end his term as a Director of WoolProducers Australia at our upcoming AGM will be the new NFF Vice President. It was surprising to hear that the NFF has now grown to 40 staff. It was not that long ago that they had 12. While the NFF remains focused on their c

WoolProducers Australia remind eligible voters to take the time to vote in this year's election. Five nominations were received for the three open positions on the Executive of the nation’s peak body for woolgrowers. The ballot opened in early October, with eligible woolgrowers being sent information from their State Farm Organisations on how to participate. President Steve Harrison said, “eligible nominations were received from Helen Carrigan, Vic; Angus Hobson, NSW, Simon R

Peak woolgrower representative body, WoolProducers Australia (WoolProducers) has met to consider which nominees to recommend for the upcoming Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) director election and have determined that growers consider voting for Mr Edward Storey, Mr Steve McGuire and Mr George Millington. WoolProducers President, Mr Steve Harrison has said, “In making this recommendation WoolProducers have considered that these three candidates will complement the existing sk

Just over six years ago, having been involved with WAFarmers for nearly 30 years, I was asked if I would put my hand up for an independent position on the board of WoolProducers Australia (WPA). I had served on the board of CBH for nine years, so I knew the responsibilities and roles of a director but was unsure of the role that WPA played. Max Watts, who had been in that position and was coming to the end of his term told me what the job would entail, which was to act in the

WoolProducers Australia will be holding a contested election for this year’s Independent Director Elections. Five nominations were received for the three positions open on the Executive of the nation’s peak body for woolgrowers, WoolProducers Australia. President Steve Harrison said that the level on interest for this year’s election was pleasing for the organisation and it provides member woolgrowers to vote on who they think will best represent their interests in national p

Nominations are now open for three positions on the Executive of the nation’s peak body for woolgrowers, WoolProducers Australia. President Steve Harrison said that nominations are now being sought from current woolgrowers who believe that they can contribute to national and international policy development and advocacy on behalf of Australia’s wool producing industry. “WoolProducers Australia is led by a National Executive of woolgrowers from around Australia, which is predo

WoolProducers Independent Director Elections WoolProducers are excited to call for nominations for this year’s Independent Director Elections, to fill three director positions. WoolProducers holds these elections every two years which enables three additional directorships to work with the six State Farm Organisation appointed directors to form the WoolProducers Executive providing a truly national voice for Australian woolgrowers. The role of each director, working as part o

Why the decision on live export matters to everyone The consultation on the proposed ban of live export of sheep by sea closed at the end of May. While red meat is an important but secondary consideration to the wool industry this ill-informed policy decision has many ramifications for the wool industry and the broader ag sector, particularly as the current government can provide no justification for this decision other than it was an ‘election promise’. WoolProducers does no

90th General Session World Assembly of Delegates – Paris, France - 21-25 May 2023 I recently had the opportunity to join the Australian delegation to the 90th General Session of WOAH as a representative of the Animal Health Australia (AHA) Industry Forum and the Australian wool industry at the invitation of Dr Mark Schipp, Australian Chief Veterinary Officer. While it was the first WOAH event that I have attended, the 90th General Session was the first time the event had been

Steve, Jo and Adam recently attended the 92nd IWTO Congress, the first time the event had been held in an extensive face to face format in 4 years. The Congress provided a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and colleagues, establish new connections and gain valuable supply chain insights. IWTO working groups. Working group meetings preceded the Congress, providing an opportunity to receive updates and progress work to benefit the global wool supply chain. The Sus

Proposed Biosecurity Protection Levy Unfair to Australian Farmers As part of the recent federal budget, the Australian government proposed a new biosecurity protection levy, which will be paid by all producers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries. The levy would be set at an equivalent rate of 10% of the industry-led agricultural levies of 2020-21 and is proposed to commence on 1 July, 2024. Australia’s biosecurity system needs a sustainable and equitable funding model, whe

The Australian Wool Industry continues to take action to address wool preparation and contamination issues. At a recent meeting of the China Australia Joint Working Group, China raised the issue of clip preparation and contamination being found in Australian wool bales. This contamination leads to reduced wool quality, posing a significant threat to the industry. AWEX CEO, Mr Mark Grave said, “Australia has an international reputation of producing the best wool in the world d

A word from Steve The Federal government’s proposal to ban live sheep exports is a concerning time for all involved in agriculture. As a heavily export focused sector, the concept of government banning a legitimate trade that has continued to demonstrate improvement in animal welfare and has met or exceeded all government-imposed targets, should cause concern for all. While not traditionally involved in live export discussions, WoolProducers has certainly taken this proposed

In March, I was fortunate to head to France as part of the National Farmers Federation (NFF) French Farmer Delegation and Engagement Tour. Visiting key agricultural regions in the north-west of France, the tour was designed to build French-Australian relations and address any European misconceptions regarding the standard, intensity, and quality of Australian agricultural production against the backdrop of negotiations around the EU Free Trade Agreement. With France a key agr

March saw CEO, Jo Hall and myself travel to India as part of an Australian delegation to attend the inaugural Joint India Australia Wool Working Group (JIAWWG). The group has been initiated to foster relations with the Australian and Indian trade in an effort to gain market expansion into this growing economy. The recent ratification of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) has seen a renewed focus on bilateral relations between our two counties

Peak woolgrower representative body WoolProducers Australia is excited to be announced as the recipient of a $800,000 Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) grant to develop pathways for domestic and diversified early-stage wool processing, as announced by Minister Watt today. Together with Industry co-investment and the recently announced strategic partnership with AusHub the total value of the project is almost $1.1million. The grant funding allows further

2023 is shaping up to have a major focus on trade for WoolProducers, with a number of exciting announcements and activities underway. WoolProducers President, Steve Harrison and I are about to embark on a trip to India to participate in the inaugural Joint India Australia Wool Working Group, while one of our recent ‘Raising the Baa’ Leadership participants, Skye Ward is returning from France after being selected to attend as part of broader agricultural trade delegation repre

After a competitive application process, AusHub Vietnam (AusHub) have allocated an in-country wool industry representative to peak woolgrower representative body WoolProducers Australia. WoolProducers Australia is one of three successful industry groups that will be supported by a dedicated Industry Representative in Vietnam through the AusHub program. WoolProducers Chief Executive Officer, Ms Jo Hall said, “WoolProducers are pleased to secure this resource on behalf of all A

Welcome to the final edition of the WoolProducers monthly newsletter. Thank you for taking the time to read our publication and we hope that you find it interesting. If there is anything that you would like further information on, please don’t hesitate to reach out. On behalf of the WoolProducers team, I would like to wish you all a happy, relaxing and safe festive season. This year has been challenging in many respects and we hope that 2023 is better for those who have had i

I recently travelled to represent WoolProducers at the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) Round Table, held in Nuremburg, Germany. The round table was hosted by the German Wool Federation and the Südwolle Group, bringing together 80+ representatives from the global wool textile industry after an all too long 3 years stuck meeting on screens! Prior to the Round Table I chaired a workshop to develop a biosecurity framework for the trade of wool from Emergency Animal

As a passionate wool producer, I have long wanted to get more involved in the industry and was excited when the opportunity arose to apply for a place on the WoolProducers Raising the Baa Program. With a lifelong involvement in the wool and sheep sector, having grown up on a merino sheep property on Monaro and now running a fine wool grazing operation with my young family at Bungendore in southern New South Wales, I have long been an advocate for wool and the agricultural sec