Inferior dye ruins wool clip

December 2, 2019

We really didn’t think things could get worse with the crossbred wool industry, but alas…. here we go.  Welcome to the next edition of 'what the heck is going on?'.
An issue has been identified where “spray” used to mark sheep, is not scouring out.  The exact cause of this is unknown, however, we have received anecdotal accounts of people using a product that is not registered or designed for use on wool and others where products which were previously suitable are no longer up to the job. 
“Are you serious?” was the question Federated Farmers Meat & Wool Chairperson Miles Anderson put to the wool buyer who informed him that there are sprays being used on wool that is retaining dye in the fibres that cannot be scoured out, rendering the clip worthless.  
“It's rubbish getting paid $1.60 a kilo for your wool, but worse is getting nothing at all, which is what is happening to dozens of bales which have been found to have inferior dye product in them which cannot scour out”. 
Keep in mind these bales are receiving no bids at auction and being returned to the farmer.
‘Just take it out’ is the message Anderson wants to get out there.
"Regardless of the price of wool, care needs to be taken to prepare your clip and receive the most you can for the product."
No-one can say exactly which products are causing the issue, so we need to take out any wool with dye on it and throw it in with the dags, Anderson said.
"We are working with industry to sort the problem but in the meantime put it on the garden it’s a great product, one that can mulch and fertilise at the same time, good for the garden, good for the remaining saleable wool clip and one less thing to worry about."