- Location
- East Sussex
It is that time of the year when those of us who have sheep with wool on start to think about shearing. The value of wool has fallen and for some people the cost of shearing is once again higher than the value of the wool.
It is therefore surprising to see so many adverts for people wanting to buy your wool.
While I no longer have any interest in the BWMB I am concerned that as a sheep farmer who produces around 30 tonnes of wool a year there is a massive risk that the whole system we have for handling wool could be in the process of being dismantled by opportunists who are not what they seem.
The "Irish" company Laurence Pierce wool merchants have recruited many more people around the country to collect/buy wool. A large number of these "buyers" are shearing contractors. These shearers were probably trained by Shearing Courses run by and subsidised by the BWMB.
People should also be acutely aware that Laurence Pierce is no longer an Irish company and is now owned by Curtis Wools of Bradford, although Vincent Pierce is still a director, the others, Daniel Isbecque and Timothy Holgate are the joint MD's of Haworth Scouring in Bradford. Haworth is owned by the Norwegians.
Now Curtis Wool Direct are the largest buyers at the BWMB auctions, but they are trying to buy much more wool direct from farms in order to reduce their need to buy wool in the early season Auctions. By doing this they can possibly depress the auction price and reduce the throughput of the BWMB which could quickly have a detrimental effect on the auction system and the efficiency of the BWMB.
Pierce and the other Irish buyers have always made much play of the fact that they pay the full price on the day. Whereas the BWMB belongs to the farmers and is effectively a cooperative and pays the full value when the wool is sold at Auction having been graded first to achieve maximum value to the farmer.
However in their advert they refer to 2003, for the majority of wool producers selling through the Board has been a better price than selling to the Irish. The present system is completely transparent as the BWMB publishes a price schedule every year, it supplies containers to put the wool in and arranges transport if necessary.
Unless farmers continue to support the BWMB then the inevitable will happen and the value of wool will continue to fall further and a small number of people in Bradford and Norway will make all the money from your wool. I doubt they will train any Shearers either.
It is therefore surprising to see so many adverts for people wanting to buy your wool.
While I no longer have any interest in the BWMB I am concerned that as a sheep farmer who produces around 30 tonnes of wool a year there is a massive risk that the whole system we have for handling wool could be in the process of being dismantled by opportunists who are not what they seem.
The "Irish" company Laurence Pierce wool merchants have recruited many more people around the country to collect/buy wool. A large number of these "buyers" are shearing contractors. These shearers were probably trained by Shearing Courses run by and subsidised by the BWMB.
People should also be acutely aware that Laurence Pierce is no longer an Irish company and is now owned by Curtis Wools of Bradford, although Vincent Pierce is still a director, the others, Daniel Isbecque and Timothy Holgate are the joint MD's of Haworth Scouring in Bradford. Haworth is owned by the Norwegians.
Now Curtis Wool Direct are the largest buyers at the BWMB auctions, but they are trying to buy much more wool direct from farms in order to reduce their need to buy wool in the early season Auctions. By doing this they can possibly depress the auction price and reduce the throughput of the BWMB which could quickly have a detrimental effect on the auction system and the efficiency of the BWMB.
Pierce and the other Irish buyers have always made much play of the fact that they pay the full price on the day. Whereas the BWMB belongs to the farmers and is effectively a cooperative and pays the full value when the wool is sold at Auction having been graded first to achieve maximum value to the farmer.
However in their advert they refer to 2003, for the majority of wool producers selling through the Board has been a better price than selling to the Irish. The present system is completely transparent as the BWMB publishes a price schedule every year, it supplies containers to put the wool in and arranges transport if necessary.
Unless farmers continue to support the BWMB then the inevitable will happen and the value of wool will continue to fall further and a small number of people in Bradford and Norway will make all the money from your wool. I doubt they will train any Shearers either.
