GREASY WOOL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 April 1940, Page 9

GREASY WOOL

DECREASE IN PRODUCTION. PREDICTED BY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN. (Bj’ Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. April 21. A decrease of about 100.000 bales in the production of greasy’ wool in New Zealand this year is expected, according to Mr H. M. Christie, chairman of the New Zealand Wool Council. Mr Christie, who has been actively engaged with the administration of the present system of sale to Great Britain, said in an interview in Christchurch that the decline was general throughout New Zealand, but that it had fallen most heavily on those South Island districts where losses from the severe winter were most felt. “The decline in wool production will bring the total down from a little more than 800.000 bales to about 700.000.” said Mr Christie. “It is most unfortunate, but it should be remembered that production last year was a record. Almost every district in New Zealand has suffered from a fall in the weight produced, but the same conditions that made for a reduced weight have also unfortunately lowered the average grade of the clip. Therefore, in many districts, particularly in the South Island high country, growers are faced with not only a smaller clip, but with a clip as much as 2d below the value it would have been assessed at had it been of normal quality.”

It appeared that the production of slipe wool would be somewhere about the figure of last year, said Mr Christie, but with the decline in greasy wool production, total production would be down about 100.000 bales.