SCARCITY OF WOOL

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1928, Page 3

SCARCITY OF WOOL

CHANGE FOR AMERICANS. SAN FRANC LS('(). -March 7. "With little prospect of further expansion of wool production in New Zealand. Australia, and South Africa, there is opportunity for American wool growers to place their industry on the best financial basis in history," according to Mr J. F. Walker, consulting specialist of the Division of Co-operative Marketing, United States Department ot Agriculture, who has just completed a year’s study of the wool industry in many countries visited on a trip around the world.

“ Wool production in New Zealand. Australia, and South, Allien, already has readied the. saturation poi nt, and cannol he further expanded because ol limiting climatic and geographic factors," Mr Walker says. ■■Australia

now is carrying more sheep than at any previous time, except in IS9I. the leading wool State in Australia earicing KMKIO.OOn more sheep than is_ conservatively estimated as sale. No further expansion may he looked tor there, except possibly in Vi est Australia. South Africa is carrying 35.(100.000 head of sheep, which, according to host agricultural authorities there, is 5,000,000 over safe carrying capacity. There have been two years of vote had climatic conditions fn one of the leading sheep-producing sections, embracing about ono-fourth the total area of South Africa, with no relief tn sight. There are no grounds to believe there will he much further expansion of the sheep industry in South Africa. Production in New Zealand is limited hy lack" of space."

Mr Walker pointed out that despite this heavy increase in foreign production, ‘-world production apparently has not kept pace with consumptive demand. Monl stocks to-da\ arc extremely low. with no apparent surplus of wool anywhere in the world. Wool is being taken at the sales ns rapidly as it is offered. ’ The opportunities which Mr "\\uu\Ci secs in this situation for American wool growers are in breeding sheep which will produce a type of wool the mill demands; breeding so as to produce wool uniformly instead of producing one kind of wool one xeai and another the following year; preparation of wool so as to command the most competition for it. and marketing wool with the same efficiency with which Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are at present merchandising their wools.