Shearing Showcase At The Cloud For Prince Charles

Shearing Showcase At The Cloud For Prince Charles

New Zealand's shearers and wool handlers have welcomed the opportunity to join Prince Charles in Auckland today at Shear Brilliance, a showcase celebrating the Campaign for Wool.

As patron of the campaign Prince Charles supports the industry's efforts to raise awareness of wool's virtues and while In New Zealand for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations visits the Cloud in Auckland to inspect a wool showcase staged by the industry.

President of the New Zealand Shearing Contractors' Association Barry Pullin says Royal patronage at Shear Brilliance is an opportunity for the industry to state it's fundamental principle that more successful farmers will sustain a more successful wool industry.

"The art of shearing is alive and well, but with over two decades of depressed wool prices this challenging but wonderful industry is at risk," Mr Pullin says.

"We all let standards slip sometimes when times are tough but the ShearNZ programme can take our industry into the future where standards are king and we can all exceed the expectations of the market place. Short cuts in the shearing shed cost everyone and its costing the wool industry dearly”.

The association with the help of Beef + Lamb New Zealand developed ShearNZ.

Mr Pullin says shearing businesses that invest in good processes make a difference to the bottom line.

" Along with our wonderful natural product come risks, unless we can give assurance of traceability and social and environmental sustainability, we are putting ourselves at risk in the international market place”.

ShearNZ was established to provide farmers, through their shearing business, a programme that certifies operators and recognises them as having met some sound standards.

“It’s a programme that is easy to work through and helps set-up processes that ensure better communications between farmers, the shearing team and the wool industry” he says. in.But most importantly, it’s about providing the whole industry with confidence that we can assure our key audience - the export market, that we have pride in our people and our product, the wool we harvest and the animals we work with”.

www.shearnz.co.nz

ENDS

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