AWTA > Statistics > Wool Testing Trends > Fine Wool Trends

Fine Wool (<19.5 microns)

About Fine Wool Trends

The statistics provided in the following tables are derived by defining fine Wools as those wools that are less than or equal to 19.5 microns. This is a very broad definition which will also include wools that don't fit the traditional fine wool types, such as hunger fine wools, and fine wool bales produced from broader wool flocks by using on-farm testing to assist in classing. Consequently these data must be considered to not necessarily reflect production of traditional fine wool types.

Data Provided in for Fine Wool Trends

The tables on this page include:

The trend for the average micron for all wool tested is also available.

 

 

Historical Trends for Bales of Wool Tested <19.5 Microns by Micron Category

The table immediately below lists the quantities of bales tested for each micron category for the 15 year period 1991-92 to 2005-06. 

  Micron Range  
Year
00.0
to
15.0
15.1
to
15.5
15.6
to
16.0
16.1
to
16.5
16.6
to
| 17.0
17.1
to
17.5
17.6
to
17.7
17.8
to
17.9
18.0
to
18.1
18.2
to
18.3
18.4
to
18.5
18.6
to
18.7
18.8
to
18.9
19.0
to
19.1
19.2
to
19.3
19.4
to
19.5
 Total
91/92 9 170 758 3456 10114 24631 16983 21986 30608 37953 48540 53810 63822 72841 85342 99832 570855
92/93 4 11 112 688 3309 11195 8633 12481 18079 22827 30232 34703 45736 49038 57559 70714 365321
93/94 18 69 519 2141 6420 17367 11310 17831 22976 30839 34745 40800 46165 54323 62589 71038 419150
94/95 77 184 771 3036 7703 19933 13945 21558 29242 38024 46683 55941 62171 68729 81642 86799 536438
95/96 59 79 286 1393 5780 19446 14710 18953 24448 30928 38396 44892 51767 60430 68961 82197 462723
96/97 103 341 1655 4688 9830 24227 15667 22745 29903 38549 48822 57630 66681 75566 85993 94419 576819
97/98 135 572 2277 6003 14001 32855 21765 26999 33311 40729 48328 57464 66224 72231 78132 89177 590203
98/99 93 316 1356 4914 12604 31081 21112 25981 29796 38337 42169 47084 57330 62124 70790 84242 529329
99/00 119 306 1412 4188 11581 27238 19448 25593 31128 41320 49242 55763 63013 68677 80774 85237 565039
00/01 333 649 2017 6572 16446 35888 23247 30258 38044 47904 56361 67010 73405 81665 89677 95846 665322
01/02 290 694 2661 8405 21063 48422 30130 39354 47447 57241 67251 75363 85148 93211 103675 110792 791147
02/03 902 2671 8364 19636 40153 74484 42768 49405 56509 63123 70601 78044 84323 90658 94168 97964 873773
03/04 517 1338 4853 14191 34264 67638 39827 47365 54453 62279 69302 75289 82243 85946 90877 93697 824079
04/05 1506 3759 9657 20911 42013 78011 44328 51753 58328 66771 72284 79041 86885 91632 94926 97610 899415
05/06 2192 4642 10863 23626 48074 80372 41027 46400 51997 58552 63086 68946 73983 80898 86211 89756 830625

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Trend for all Wool Tested compared with Wool less than 19.5 Microns

The following table shows the tonnes of all wool tested as well as the tonnes of wool<19.5 microns tested over the same period. Note that these statistics represent wool sampled and tested and therefore will not be the same as wool produced within the same financial year. However, for completeness, the estimated shorn wool production production (as estimated by the AWI Wool Production Forecasting Committee) is also included in the table.

Year Estimated Production(Tonnes)+  All Wool Tested(Tonnes) Superfine Wool Tested(Tonnes) Superfine Wool Tested (% of total tested)
1991/92 801000   817454 97324.1 11.9%
1992/93 815100   823577 62304.7 7.6%
1993/94 775800   800488 70786.6 8.8%
1994/95 682500   710197 90857.8 12.8%
1995/96 654900   657880 79319.5 12.1%
1996/97 682000   678399 98527.9 14.5%
1997/98 655100   640997 100630.3 15.7%
1998/99 641000   638873 91253.2 14.3%
1999/00 620000   667659 97495.3 14.6%
2000/01 602000   643218 114575.5 17.8%
2001/02 555000   572001 136612.1 23.9%
2002/03 499000   501200 151935.6 30.3%
2003/04 480000   481795 144632.6 30.0%
2004/05 475000   485859 157468.4 32.4%
2005/06 459000   470320 145741.3 31.0%
2006/07 430000   456326 162499.9 35.6%
2007/08 400000   424461 148564.3 35.0%
2008/09 385000 #      

+ Shorn wool and crutchings only*

AWI Wool Production Forecasting Committee estimate

# AWI Wool Production Forecasting Committee estimate at June 2008

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Trend for weight of wool testing less than 19.5 microns by Micron Category

The table below shows the tonnes of wool testing less than 19.5 microns by micron category over the same period.

  Weight (Tonnes) wool tested for specified Micron Ranges
Season 0.00-12.5 12.6-13.5 13.6-14.5 14.6-15.5 15.6-16.5 16.6-17.5 17.6-18.5 18.6-19.5 Total
1991/92 0 0 0.2 25.8 644.7 5557.3 26138.2 64957.9 97324.2
1992/93 0 0 0 1.8 121.5 2319.2 15373.2 44489 62304.7
1993/94 0 0 0.3 10.3 408.1 3781.9 19462.8 47120.6 70786.7
1994/95 0 0 9.1 28.1 562.7 4345.3 24823.3 61089.2 90857.8
1995/96 0 0.1 1.6 15.3 243 3979.5 21391.2 53688.9 79319.4
1996/97 0 0.1 3.5 57 971.6 5477.3 26155.4 65863 98528
1997/98 0 0.2 3.5 90.3 1253.6 7524.4 28675.1 63083.2 100629.7
1998/99 0 0.3 3.5 50.9 970.4 7108.5 26667.2 56452.4 91253.3
1999/00 0 0.4 6.1 48.9 865 6346.1 28332.4 61896.4 97495.6
2000/01 0.3 1.3 9.3 112.3 1322 8604.9 33282.6 71235.2 114575.5
2001/02 0.1 2.1 9.8 115.9 1714.6 11435.5 41172.7 82161.5 136612.1
2002/03 0.3 4.7 26.1 492.4 4552 19372.5 48885.5 78602 151935.6
2003/04 0.4 4.6 15.2 239 2963 17315.7 47697.4 76252.7 144632.6
2004/05 1.1 5.7 46.7 750.2 5047.4 20429.4 51222.1 79965.8 157468.4
2005/06 1.4 6.5 61.1 1003.5 5724.7 21947.7 45766.2 71230.3 145741.3
2006/07 2.9 9.4 102.6 1282.1 7721.7 27009.4 53795.6 72576.3 162500.0
2007/08 2.4 11.3 85.4 1132.6 7025.9 22481.7 46407.2 71417.8 148564.3

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Trends for weight of Ultrafine, Superfine, Fine and Other Micron Categories

In 2003 the Australian Superfine Wool Growers Association suggested that the nominal micron category for superfine (<19.5 microns) wool should be redefined into 3 nominal categories, to accommodate increasing focus on so-called "ultrafine" wools. The categorisation recommended by the Association is:

 

Category

Micron Range 

  
 

Ultrafine Wool

<15.6

  
 

Superfine Wool 

15.6 - 18.5 

  
 

Fine Wool

18.6 - 19.5

  
 

Other

>19.5

  

The following table shows the quantities wool tested in each of these categories together with the total wool tested. The percentages reflect each category's proportion of the total.

 
Ultrafine
(<15.6)
Superfine
(15.6-18.5)
Fine
(18.6-19.5)
Other
(>19.5
 Total
Season

Tonnes

%

Tonnes

%

Tonnes

%

Tonnes

%

Tonnes

1991/92 26 0.003% 32340 4.0% 64958 7.9% 720130 88.1% 817,454