Keep calm and shear on

A wide range of items, from nails and plastic bags up to mobile phones, pieces of clothing and press bars have been found in bales of wool.

New Zealand wool is of the highest quality but a recent problem - the non-wool contamination of bales of greasy wool - has surfaced and needs to be addressed.

Over the last year, wool scour operators, shearers and the Federation have become increasingly concerned at the amount and nature of non-wool contamination being found.

A wide range of items, from nails and plastic bags up to mobile phones, pieces of clothing and press bars have been found in bales of wool.

The removal of these and other non-wool contaminants is, at a minimum, time-consuming for the processors of the wool.

If they are not found and removed prior to further processing, they have the potential to damage machinery. This can result in a loss of value of the finished products if a contaminant - such as baling twine - is incorporated into the material.

Addressing the problem requires that both farmers and shearers have a higher level of awareness of what is happening in the shearing shed and ensuring that they have processes and checks in place to prevent anything but wool (and, in bin bales, newsprint for separation) going into wool bales.

The sector has developed a number of initiatives to help solve this problem. One of these was the development of a presentation and related resources by Cavalier Woolscourers.

Another is the development, by the Federation, working in partnership with the New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association, of the Keep Calm and Shear On poster.

This resource is designed to be put up in shearing sheds and provides key messages about how to prevent wool contamination.

An electronic copy of the poster can be obtained from Sarah Crofoot, the Federation's Meat & Fibre policy advisor.

Contact Sarah by email scrofoot@fedfarm.org.nz or telephone: 04 494-9195 or 0800 FARMING (0800 327-646).