Shearing Season Favoured By Fine Weather

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26631, 29 November 1947, Page 2

Shearing Season Favoured By Fine Weather

The Farm

The shearing season in Otago is pro-, cceding satisfactorily, and has been favoured by fine weather. Wool coming into the stores in Dunedin, for the first real fleece sale of the season at this centre on December 22, has opened up very well. It is particularly free from seed, as a result of early shearing. The available labour has been well distributed among shearing sheas in Otago this year, and, with the increased amount of early shearing, the demand for labour has not come at one particular time, and no serious shortage of shearers has occurred. Already, the Department of Labour and Employment in Dunedin has placed 17 learners in shearing sheds throughout the province, including such districts as the Maniototo, Patearoa, Oturehua, Waipori, and Glenorchy. The department received a fairly large number of applications from prospective learners, but, since then, many of them have gone out on their own because farmers have not been approaching the department until the last minute. At present, the department is in the position of being able to accept a few further applications from farmers.

Weight Limit of Bales Emphasising the need for farmers to observe as closely as possible a limit of 4001 b in bales of wool, the Journal of Agriculture says it is likely that representations will be made to have a weight restriction again imposed if 4001 bis frequently exceeded by an appreciable amount. The journal ados that there have been complaints recently about excessively heavy bales coming into stores.

By a regulation which came into force on September 24. 1946 tthe Wool Packing Control Order), the maximum weight of bales was fixed at 4001l> gross, but, because of the shortage of jute and its effects on the manufacture of wool packs and other containers, the order was revoked on May 14, 1947. A “double dump” on the waterfront is still limited to 6801 b. and bales exceeding 4001 b have- to be dumped singly.

Reminding farmers that very tight packing of bales it detrimental to the display of wool, the Journal says that care by the farmer is the best guarantee against any move to seek statutory limitation of the weight of bales and against the attendant storage problems. Although the shortage of jute has produced a, difficult situation, the journal says that the supply of wool packing coming forward for the 194748 clip will be adequate to handle all wool without the necessity for putting excessive quantities into packs. A Profitable Practice During a discussion among sheep men attending the farmers’ field day at Lincoln College last week, one woolgrower mentioned that he followed the unusual practice of taking off the collar of his sheep when he was eyeclipping. He said that he benefited from having clean wool to offer with his crutchings and oddments because it was taken off before seed was about. His fleece wool did not require the heavy skirting usually needed when seedy necks are present. Three other woolgrowers in attendance said that they had also adopted this practice with profit. Lower U.S. Tariff New Zealand should benefit from the decision of the United States to cut its tariff on imported wool by 25 per cent. The lower duty on wool entering the States may allow American buyers to bid anything up to 4d per lb more on the average at the New Zealand auctions. British buyers may also pay more because they are to get a concession on woollen and worsted fabrics they send to the States. Prices bid by other buyers may be stimulated by competition, helping to raise the average. For many years, dissatisfaction has been expressed by New Zealand woolgrowers at the high American tariff of 34 cents per lb “ clean content ” on imported apparel wools, types finer than coarse crossbred. Clean content usually averages about 66 to 70 per cent of the greasy basis. In spite of the tariff protection, woolgrowing in the United States is a declining industry because of high production costs on grazing lands and the loss of labour to more remunerative employment. While production dropped from 450,000,0001 b in 1939 to an estimated 250,000,0001 b this year, consumption has soared from 600,000,0001 b in 1940 to an estimated 950,000,0001 b at present. To-day, the United States must import about one-third of the world’s wool exports if the production of her mills is to be maintained. Manufacturers in the United States make no secret of their preference for New Zealand wools, which, they claim, produce a better article at lower working costs than their domestic clip.