Wool pack gripe

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 30, 21 December 1987, Page 21

Wool pack gripe

One of New Zealand's largest wool customers has again stressed the necessity for the whole indus- 1 try to improve its| packaging standards. 1 Complaints were ex-l pressed by the Deputy'1 General Director of Exportljon, the Soviet Union purchasing agency responsible for wool. The Soviet Union is one of New Zealand's key customers whose annual purchases exceeded NZ$140,000,000 last season. Mr S.M. (Sergei) Gnidenko's comments came during his visit to New Zealand for discussions with the agents for Soviet vessels operating out of New Zealand, the Wool Board, and major wool suppliers. Mr Gnidenko also took the opportunity to see at first hand how New Zealand wool purchased by his organisation is prepared for export. "Too many bales have wool protruding from grab sample cuts. There's often wool coming out of the needle holes due to substandard sewing of the cap to the pack," he says. The poor standard of New Zealand wool packaging drew fire from Exportljon in September last year when members of a New Zealand trade delegation were visiting Moscow. "There has been marked progress since then, but there's still room for further improvement," says Gnidenko. "Surely it's not unreasonable for customers of New Zealand wool to expect

their purchases to arrive in the Soviet Union in a sound, secure and identifiable package?"