Chinese Push for Mandatory Fiber Risk

June 29, 2007 - Chinese processors want all Australian wool to be declared under the Dark and Medullated Fiber Risk Scheme (DMFR) within 18 months. So far the scheme has failed to excite growers with only 33 percent of wool sold nationally declared under the program.

Landmark national wool manager Gerald Barker said the DMFR must be drawn through the pipeline by the major processors before growers can be expected to take it up seriously.

"The mills themselves have to generate the need as it is now time for a pull-through approach, and I believe this is now happening," stated Australian Wool Industries Secretariat executive director Peter Morgan.

Under the scheme initiated three years ago, growers can declare if wool comes from sheep crutched less than three months before shearing, if the sheep were run with exotic breeds and whether the sheep are over eight years of age.

"At the end of the day, the vast majority of Merino wool from Australia will contain very low risk, but at least with mills buying declared wool, they can better manage their risk and avoid someone popping in wool that has a poorer risk factor, so in many ways, it is a quality control measure," Morgan concluded.
Reprinted in part from Farmonline.com

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