Sheep wool

[Tommy_T]

Can anyone enlighten me about the British Wool Marketing Board?

I am reading that if you have more than four sheep you have to send your fleeces to them to be sold on? And that if you want to keep x amount you have to notify them what you are doing with them? Is that right, or am I misreading/understanding?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

None of that is true...it’s your wool you can do as you please with it

 

[yellowbelly]

Can anyone enlighten me about the British Wool Marketing Board?

I am reading that if you have more than four sheep you have to send your fleeces to them to be sold on? And that if you want to keep x amount you have to notify them what you are doing with them? Is that right, or am I misreading/understanding?

You'd need @Frank-the-Wool to give you chapter and verse on that but I don't think it's compulsory nowadays - you can sell to other buyers (eg Irish firms)

If you sell to the BWMB you won't get all your money in the first year (too complicated a payment system to explain here)

IMHO, we should still support the Board but no doubt somebody will be along to tell you different

 

[Dyffryn]

If you're farm assured you get 20p a kg extra on top of the base price from Texacloth!

 

[It was already broken.]

You'd need @Frank-the-Wool to give you chapter and verse on that but I don't think it's compulsory nowadays - you can sell to other buyers (eg Irish firms)

If you sell to the BWMB you won't get all your money in the first year (too complicated a payment system to explain here)

IMHO, we should still support the Board but no doubt somebody will be along to tell you different

It seems a terrible system. Until you consider the alternatives. No-one is going to clamp you in chains if you don't register with them @Tommy_T so if you fancy flogging it in 10 gram packets from the back of your car parked down a dark street late at night go ahead.

 

[shearerlad]

I’m sure that @Frank-the-Wool will give an in depth description of what BWMB does and the reasons to support it but here is my tuppence worth.

BWMB collects wool from farms around the UK. The wool is graded, sorted and put into saleable lots and stored, the wool still belongs to YOU. They hold auctions throughout the year to (hopefully) even out the highs and lows of price, supply and demand on a global market were YOUR wool is sold to processors.
With regards to the payments. The board simply cannot pay out on wool that has not been sold.

Think BWMB in the same way as you would a livestock auctioneer company. With the biggest difference being that unlike cattle or sheep sale, BWMB (usually) arranges transport, grades, sorts, stores and sells YOUR wool.

 

[Nithsdale]

+1 @shearerlad






A lot knock the BWMB but we would all be screwed without them. I'm grateful for the work they do - both selling/marketing my wool, AND the training shearers and handlers to high standards. If it weren't for them, there would be no training courses

 

[Wooly]

If you're farm assured you get 20p a kg extra on top of the base price from Texacloth!

Really !?!

I do see that the BWMB are now paying more for organic wool............. even if it is covered in Clik, Crovect or any of the other chemicals that are allowed under the 'organic' rules !

 

[Al R]

Really !?!

I do see that the BWMB are now paying more for organic wool............. even if it is covered in Clik, Crovect or any of the other chemicals that are allowed under the 'organic' rules !

Nobody should be applying anything that close to shearing though or the shearers have got to deal with it!!!!

I could see organic has got a premium, how much I’m not sure? Last year’s cheque comes to -35p/head after costs.
We’re all getting fleeced!

 

[Tommy_T]

Thanks all. So no compulsory sign-up. My query arose as at this moment in time I don’t have a massive number, and my nearest drop-off is over an hour away. If they came to collect I would do it, but currently it’s not worth the time or expense. Unless they do collect and I’ve totally missed that!
I think it seems a good idea overall, and if it were worth my while I’d prob sign up. Maybe when I add to my flock over the coming year I’ll reconsider. For now I’ll be researching what you can do with fleece

 

[Dyffryn]

Really !?!

I do see that the BWMB are now paying more for organic wool............. even if it is covered in Clik, Crovect or any of the other chemicals that are allowed under the 'organic' rules !

That’s what our local guy told me.

 

[Gulli]

Yes they will collect.

Not sure what anyone is gaining by selling to independent buyers, they all buy from the wool auctions anyway just with more competition.

My wool cheque is bugger all really but it's always a nice surprise when some money turns up during the winter when I haven't sold anything

 

[Bury the Trash]

If you're farm assured you get 20p a kg extra on top of the base price from Texacloth!

one really good reason for not selling to them then

 

[Tommy_T]

Yes they will collect.

Not sure what anyone is gaining by selling to independent buyers, they all buy from the wool auctions anyway just with more competition.

My wool cheque is bugger all really but it's always a nice surprise when some money turns up during the winter when I haven't sold anything

I’d be best to drop them a line and enquire then. If they collect I won’t have a problem. I guess what you get doesn’t even cover the cost of shearing though!!

 

[Gulli]

I’d be best to drop them a line and enquire then. If they collect I won’t have a problem. I guess what you get doesn’t even cover the cost of shearing though!!

Learn to shear, covers my wages for half a days work...

 

[neilo]

I’d be best to drop them a line and enquire then. If they collect I won’t have a problem. I guess what you get doesn’t even cover the cost of shearing though!!

They employ hauliers to collect, but you will be charged per wool sheet. No idea if they’d willing to collect a few fleeces in a sheet, but you could save it up for several years if you store it carefully.
Whether it’s worth the effort is a different matter.

 

[Nithsdale]

Learn to shear, covers my wages for half a days work...

Skill for life!

Do it for others and itl pay for more than a few meals (or nights in the pub)

 

[delilah]

For now I’ll be researching what you can do with fleece

If you would like to add value to it have a look at our mini-mill thread in rural diversification, we would be happy to help

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Wool has always been difficult ever since man made fibres (plastic) undercut the price. The last time it was really of any value was during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

The BWMB was set up after WW2 along with the other marketing boards. It is now the only one left. Part of the BWMB's function was to administer the guaranteed price (subsidy) which ended in 1993.

Recently wool prices for all but Hill and Mountain types have started to rise. Fine wool prices in Australia are at present the highest they have ever been and farmers are making big money again from wool.
I believe this is already helping with the better wools here and with pressure to get rid of plastic wool and all natural fibres are coming back into fashion.

The Irish buyers just use the wool they buy (rob) direct from farms to keep the auction price down.
Ask any farmer in Europe if anyone will event take their wool, let alone pay for it!

 

[andybk]

I listened to the texacloth sales pitch , yes all fine , but i know if the BWMB went they would hang us out to dry , like when the milk board went and the deadweight meat buyers (during F+M ) . so i will stick to bwmb for now thank you .