The Yarn

One of Australia's largest woolgrowers, Ian Shippen joins The Yarn to discuss how he found a way to shear many thousands of stranded sheep during the floods using the race delivery system. He also discusses the greater issue of shearer shortages and the need to find solutions.

With increased transparency comes increased market opportunities but the number and complexity of various supply chain schemes along the path to the final consumer is complex. Hear the common sense approach and the good news for woolgrowers from Dr Robyn Leeson, a global leader in this area, principal of STR Consulting and vice chair of the Global Reporting Initiative Global Sustainability Standards Board. She spoke at the Sheep Sustainability Framework about where to for the sheep and wool industries.

Australia’s oldest working textile mill: Waverley Mills in Tasmania, is expanding! Hear from agribusiness veteran and Waverley executive director David Farley about his plans for not only the growth of this important piece of wool history but his optimism for a much larger domestic processing industry in Australia.

Despite global uncertainty, the wool market has started the calendar year relatively well. Given all factors at play, what is the road ahead? We hear why AWI Trade Analyst Scott Carmody is optimistic for wool in 2023.

From shearing for the Queen to outback Queensland and winning at the Golden Shears, Cathy is a legend of the industry and inductee into the Shearing Hall of Fame. We catch up with her at her bakery in Quilpie and hear what it was like to not only pioneer shearing for women but the be one of the best in the business.

As predators, wild dogs cost the Australian economy up to $100 million annually in lost production and control costs, not to mention the enormous stress they cause wool and sheep producers. AWI’s activities follow the National Wild Dog Action Plan, enabling communities to coordinate effective and humane management of wild dogs. Tracey Kreplins, Research Scientist, Invasive Species, WA DPIRD spoke with our newest podcaster, AWI” Tori Kirk.

Demographer, author and business adviser Bernard Salt AM has a challenge for Australian agribusiness as the pandemic wanes: reset and create a big Australian agribusiness on the global stage. Why don’t we have one already given the expertise and resources at our disposal. With an optimistic view of the future, particularly for regional Australia and the industries that drive it, like wool, Bernard Salt joins The Yarn to discuss the big picture.

As the Australian wool industry’s research, development and marketing body, AWI annually reports on its progress and the global operating environment for wool. This episode draws on the main presentations from the 2022 Annual General Meeting, including Chairman Jock Laurie, CEO John Roberts as well as research and marketing General Managers Dr Jane Littlejohn and Laura Armstrong.

Only 5% of the entire Australian wool clip can be processed domestically, leaving the wool industry vulnerable. WoolProducers Australia has just released “Ensuring a sustainable future for Australia’s wool supply chain” a comprehensive report into this very issue. Hear WPA General Manager Adam Dawes talk through the report and where this important issue heads from here.

With so much international uncertainty, what does one of Australia’s largest brokers, exporters and processors think of wool’s future? Jamie Lillie, General Manager of Fox and Lillie exports is upbeat about the current state of the wool industry and its prospects for various reasons, despite all the gloom around interest rates, inflation and conflict globally.