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There was a more positive tone to the trade earlier in the year with world supplies diminishing, but this has yet to materialise into a significant price increase.
Andrew Miller from Kells, Co Antrim on the Ulster Wool Shearing Training Course at Claudy, Co Derry. \ Peter Houston
Disappointing wool prices are going nowhere near covering shearing costs this year. There has been a very slight upward movementof 5c/kg, with most merchants quoting 25c/kg for lowland wool and from 10-15c/kg for hill wool.
This leaves a typical 2.4kg fleece worth just 30-60c.
With shearing costs ranging from €2.25 to over €3/head, it costs a 100-ewe lowland flock €165-240 to shear. For hill flocks this rises to €200 to €270 per flock.
The wool trade was more positive in early 2025 with Chinese stockpiles of wool depleting and increased market activity, but trade wars between China and the US appears to have stalled any upward movement for now.
There are hopes of a brighter tone returning with Ulster Wool and British Wool having no surplus of wool and pointing to improved prices for the 2025 season.
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Title: Wool prices continue to disappoint
There was a more positive tone to the trade earlier in the year with world supplies diminishing, but this has yet to materialise into a significant price increase.
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Disappointing wool prices are going nowhere near covering shearing costs this year. There has been a very slight upward movementof 5c/kg, with most merchants quoting 25c/kg for lowland wool and from 10-15c/kg for hill wool.
This leaves a typical 2.4kg fleece worth just 30-60c.
With shearing costs ranging from €2.25 to over €3/head, it costs a 100-ewe lowland flock €165-240 to shear. For hill flocks this rises to €200 to €270 per flock.
The wool trade was more positive in early 2025 with Chinese stockpiles of wool depleting and increased market activity, but trade wars between China and the US appears to have stalled any upward movement for now.
There are hopes of a brighter tone returning with Ulster Wool and British Wool having no surplus of wool and pointing to improved prices for the 2025 season.
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