How good is an AWTA Ltd Report Test?

In discussing this question it is important to distinguish between on-farm sampling and on-farm testing. A number of wool growers and also Private Treaty Merchants conduct on-farm sampling. Provided sufficient sample is obtained, the full range of tests available for greasy wool can then be requested. Such samples can be submitted to AWTA Ltd for testing in its laboratories.

AWTA Ltd issues Test Reports instead of Certificates in such cases, because the samples are not obtained under AWTA Ltd's supervision, and also because bale weights are usually not provided. In the rare insstances where bale weights are provided the scales are often not certified.

The submitted samples are tested in the laboratory using the same equipment and procedures that are used for Certificate testing, assuming sufficient sample material is provided. Hence, the accuracy and precision of a test on a submitted sample will be identical to that on a sample for a Certificate, where the tested parameters have similar values. However, the extent to which the Test Report accurately describes the wool it represents will depend on the sampling procedure that has been followed. In the case of Certificates, AWTA Ltd ensures the correct sampling procedures are followed by supervising the sampling.

Although technologies are available to conduct on-farm testing for Mean Fibre Diameter, there are no economically viable technologies for measuring Yield, Vegetable Matter Base, Length & Strength and Colour. AWTA Ltd does not supply on-farm testing services.