In Brief

How Low Can You Go

 

Our trepidation in the March 2004 Newsletter in announcing that Rick Goodrich and his brother Bim, who run a shedded sheep wool production operation on their property near Warwick in southeast Queensland, had produced a bale of wool, which AWTA Ltd tested at 11.9 microns on OFDA and 12.0 microns on Laserscan, setting a new record, was justified. In November 2005 this record was broken by the Horsham Wool Factory in Victoria. Its bale, also produced from shedded sheep, averaged 11.8 microns, just a smidgeon finer than the 11.9 micron bale sold by the Goodrich brothers.

This bout of record breaking reminds us of “The Limbo Rock” – “How low can you go”.

This was quickly equalled by the Highlander Farm, located in New South Wales, which produced another record ultrafine bale of wool, thanks to the commitment of Gary and Kay Wilson who are in charge of operations at the farm, along with the Walker family. This bale was also produced from shedded sheep.

The Highlander property uses Legerton bloodlines in its breeding program. Legerton, owned by Barry Walker is a participant in “Toward 13 Micron (T13)” consortium – a group of 6 ram breeders from across Australia, and a central CSIRO Livestock Industries’ flock based in Armidale in New South Wales. We reported on the activities and progress made by this group in the August 2004 Newsletter.

Lora Piana purchased the 91-kilogram bale for AUD2500 per kilogram.

Ending of Matilda’s Waltz Provides for a Special Event

The fleece from five-year-old Matilda the sheep was handed over to the CSIRO in Belmont on Friday 21st January. The fleece was presented by Matilda’s owner, James Malseed, to Dale Carroll and Andrew Jones of CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology.

Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock President, Simon Ramsay, who negotiated with CSIRO to have Matilda’s fleece processed at no cost, was also present.

Matilda, who was shorn at Melbourne’s Federation Square late last year, wandered out of the Condah Swamp, near Hamilton in Western Victoria, and had not been shorn for five years. Although bred on the Condah farm owned by Mr Malseed, the renegade managed to escape. She joined a neighbouring cattle property, running with the herd for five years.

Clothing manufacturer Blazer agreed to make up the jackets from the fleece, which will were worn at a Myer fashion festival and later auctioned at a fundraising event held at Crown Palladium complex in March.

Matilda’s story follows on a similar story in New Zealand last year involving an errant sheep nicknamed Shrek. However, this Matilda should not be confused with another Matilda – the first sheep cloned in Australia by scientists at the South Australian Research & Development Institute.

Safer Shearing Sheds

 

In the August 2004 newsletter we reported on an initiative by Western Australian Worksafe to conduct a series of safety audits of shearing sheds in that state (Workplace Safety Blitz to Prevent Shearing Industry Injuries). The pilot inspection safety program was carried out during August and September last year in conjunction with industry groups after the WA shearing industry recorded more than 950 workers compensation claims from 1998. According Worksafe’s Chris Kirwin: “Some 36 sheds that have been inspected and all of these sheds have been issued with improvement notices.” “Some of the hazards that needed addressing were things like electrical faults, emergency stops and safety bars on wool presses as well as inadequate fixing points for shearers back harnesses, loose, broken or worn steps leading into the shearing sheds and lack of first aid supplies and training.” Source: Farmonline, 6th January, 2005.

Peter Wilkinson CEO, The Woolmark Company

Seeing the Light about Dark and Medullated Fibres

The introduction of the Dark & Medullated Fibre Risk Scheme in Australia this financial year, supported by a relatively cheap test, has had a faltering beginning. The adoption rate for the scheme rapidly reached 30% of all lots submitted to auction but in recent months has fallen to only 20%.

Australian wool producers and wool suppliers cannot afford to get too blasé about the risks to the industry if Australia does not maintain its reputation as a producer of clean white wool. Creating dissatisfied customers is a sure-fire way to destroy markets, or certainly prices.

An update on the Dark & Medullated Fibre Risk Scheme and on the outcomes from a random testing programme sponsored by Australian Wool Innovation will be presented to the International Wool Industry at the International Wool Textile Organisation’s Congress in Hobart in April this year.

It is expected that interest in these presentations will be keen, and a large contingent from Australia’s largest export market, China, is expected to be present.

Within China there is considerable interest in what is happening in Australia in this area. The above picture provides a simple message about why this interest exists.

 

Wool Industry Response to PETA

PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) has taken a very public stance on animal husbandry practices in the Australian Wool Industry that PETA thinks are objectionable. PETA has launched a campaign to force the industry to change these practices.

Part of the industry's response to this is to establish a website
(http://www.woolisbest.com) which presents an industry view of these practices, and which also presents information about what can be done and what is being done to develop better means of achieving the same husbandry outcomes.

http://www.woolisbest.com
Of particular interest is the downloadable Quicktime movie showing mulesing, the practice which is the focus of PETA’s objections, accompanied by a commentary of what is being done and why.

AWI has also released a comprehensive document summarising research programmes currently under way aiming to find alternative less intrusive mechanisms than mulesing for controlling fly strike. Projects being funded range from the development of a nonsurgical
alternative to mulesing, through to genetic solutions, biocontrol methods for blowfly control and improvements in the use of controls available through integrated pest management. You can download this document from http://www.wool.com.au/publications (select Battling the blowfly - a plan for the future).

Barry White Receives Service to Industry Award

Internationally Barry White is one of the best-known faces in the Australian Wool Industry. A long time employee of the former Australian Wool Corporation, and before that the Wool Board, for over 30 years he was actively involved in promoting Australian wool and in promoting objective measurements in Europe, Eastern Europe, the former USSR and China. He is a graduate in textile engineering and economics.

From 2001 he undertook market analysis and development projects for international firms entering the China market on behalf of ACIL Tasman, one of Australia's leading economics, policy and strategy consultancies. He also assisted many firms to develop their China business through his involvement with the Australia China Business Council, of which he has been a director since 1988, including periods as Victorian President and National vice President. Barry is currently Chief Executive Officer of the International Fibre Centre in Geelong, Victoria.

Barry’s long service and considerable contribution to the industry was recently recognised by the Textile Institute (TISA) through its prestigious Service to Industry Award. Barry was the recipient of the 2004 award.

Textile Technology Conference in India

The organisers of an international conference on “ADVANCES IN TEXTILE MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY, MANAGEMENT AND APPLICATIONS (ATM2005)”, in Coimbatore India on 7-8 July 2005, with the theme “Technology Upgradation, Management and Materials Development” have issued a call for papers.

The organisers will consider papers within the following areas:

• High Performance Fibres and Materials;
• Nanofibers and Technology;
• Carbon Nanotubes;
• Composite Materials and Science;
• Developments in Spinning, Weaving and Knitting for Advanced Materials Production;
• Novel Functional and Aesthetic Finishing Techniques;
• Defense Clothing, Medical and Sports Textiles;
• Electronic, Intelligent and Smart Textiles;
• Value-added Nonwovens and Industrial Textiles;
• Textile Materials for Composites Application;
• Global Markets and Consumption;
• Production, Planning and Control in Post MFA era;
• Quality Control and Global Standards; and
• Future of Advanced Textile Materials-Quovadis?.

The conference is not specific to any particular textile product. Abstracts must be received by 20th March, 2005. A brief brochure is available from: http://www.kct.ac.in/atm-2005.pdf.

 

Further Information:
Dr. J. Srinivasan
Organising Secretary, ATM 2005
Professor, Dept. of Textile Technology
Kumaraguru College of Technology
Coimbatore – 641 006, India.
Tel: Off: 91-422-2669401-04
Res: 91-422-2438758
Fax: 91-422-2669406
E-mail: srinivasanj2003@yahoo.co.in
Web: www.kct.ac.in