Axing Shearing And Clip Preparation A Ploy

Axing Shearing And Clip Preparation An Obvious Ploy

Axing shearer training and wool handling would be highly detrimental to New Zealand’s international wool selling reputation and would result in further erosion of crossbred wool prices.

In media statements recently the chairman of Meat & Wool New Zealand, Mr Mike Petersen, said the shearer training and wool handling programmes would be dropped if farmers voted “no” to consultation 09 on the levy.

The president of the New Zealand Council of Wool Exporters, Mr John Henderson, said it was a patently obvious ploy to get support for his “all or nothing” levy vote and slide through a mandate for funding Wool Partners International.

“The loss of shearing and wool handling programmes would be disastrous and I am certain some of my members could be persuaded to step into the vacuum caused by the demise of Meat and Wool New Zealand with the subsequent loss of funding for these programmes,” Mr Henderson said.

Exporters could team up with other farmer-related entities that have New Zealand woolgrowers’ interests at heart and who would happily work together co-operatively for an industry-good result, he said.

ENDS

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