Wool from 574 sheep set for compost heap

A FARMER has had to put the wool from nearly 600 sheep on to a compost pile because it costs more to sell than throw away.

Gerallt Hughes, who runs a farm just outside Llangefni, Anglesey, decided to use the wool as compost because of the “diabolical” state of the wool market.

The 30-year-old said it wasn’t worth paying a wage for someone to bag up the wool and to have it transported to the wool board because “the cost outweighs the benefits”.

Mr Hughes said a lot of farmers have said they won’t be sending wool this year because they won’t make any money from the trade.

A spokesperson for the British Wool Board says that the coronavirus pandemic has “had a significant impact on wool”, but they are hopeful of restarting the market slowly.

Mr Hughes said: “The wool market globally is pretty diabolical. My process is that the board haven’t looked at other markets or other ways to sell the wool. The board dictates who buys and who sells and maybe it’s time we need to dismantle and look at selling it ourselves.

“I sheared 574 sheep – and that’s not all of my sheep – and it’s just not cost-effective.

“The costs outweigh the benefits and it’s not worth it.

“We only do it once a year and while some people see wool as a byproduct, for some farmers it’s a way to make a living.

“A few hobbyists have reached out and will take some, but the rest will be used as compost, and all the natural nutrients will just go back into the earth, so it won’t be wasted.”

A spokesperson for the British Wool Board said: “British Wool understands the huge frustration farmers feel on the current situation within the wool market and that it is tempting to focus on and scapegoat the market leader in farm gate wool marketing.

“However, it’s important to recognise and understand the global wool market finds itself in is unprecedented and challenging times as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which has not only had a significant impact on wool but on the economy in general.

“Unlike other agricultural products whose markets have been disrupted but where there has been some demand throughout, the markets for wool products were closed from February until June and are only now seeing a slow and partial reopening against a backdrop of huge global oversupply of crossbred wool due to the extended closure of the market.

“In light of the huge and unprecedented valuation uncertainty in the market, we will, exceptionally, not be making an advance against the 2020/21 clip wool and instead, producers will receive full payment for 2020/21 clips from May 2021 onwards once we have sold the clip and have valuation certainty.

“This gives the market a window of 12 months to show some improvement on prices and producers would clearly see the benefit of this by marketing their wool through us as we return all of the value to them and do not make a profit.

“Producers can be assured that British Wool, as a trusted partner, will be at the forefront of leading the growth and renewal of wool values, but this will take time.

“We will emerge stronger from this period, so long as UK wool producers stay together and continue to back their organisation, British Wool.”

British Wool is owned by approximately 40,000 sheep farmers across the UK.

They collect, grade, market and sell wool on behalf of farmers to the international wool textile industry for use in flooring, furnishings and apparel.