Technology helps develop $50,000 wool bale

February 23, 2007 - The world's finest paddock-grown bale of wool sold for A$540 a kilo (equating to US$192 per pound). The bale fetched more than A$50,000 at an auction at Newcastle.

The New England-based company Angel-Fleece used embryo transfer and artificial insemination techniques to accelerate the breeding process.

A partner in the company, Will McLeneghan, said the strong sale for the 12.7-micron bale indicates the important part technology can play in growing fine wools.

"We've used the embryo transfer and we've used artificial insemination and we've used electronic identification and ear tags, we've used laser scans for the wool testing... we've just tried to apply as much technology as we've got available to us to get the result," he said.

The New South Wales growers believe they can produce an even finer fleece than the 12.7-micron bale within the next few years, through fine tuning and genetic improvement.

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