Tasmanian 12.7 Micron Merino Bale Tops Market at $330/kg

Precision in-shed micron testing has helped a Tasmanian ultrafine Merino enterprise achieve this week’s top auction price, with a 12.7 micron Merino fleece bale selling for $330 a kilogram to Italian luxury fashion house Loro Piana.

Wool Solutions director Alistair Calvert said the standout bale was produced by the Bennett family at their property ‘Ashby’ in Ross, eastern Tasmania.

He explained that the paddock-grown Yalgoo blood wool was the Bennetts’ first sub-13 micron bale, created using in-shed testing of individual fleeces during shearing. The bale recorded an average staple length of 86mm and a tensile strength of 28 N/ktex. It is also the first bale from the operation’s most recent clip to reach the market.

“We’ll have other low 13 micron bales coming to market over the next month or two.”

Mr Calvert said an in-shed testing unit was used to identify fleeces under 13 micron rather than targeting higher tensile strength wool for the bale,

“because the market is rewarding ultra-fine micron wool, first and foremost.”

The price paid by Loro Piana, through agent Endeavour Wool Exports at the Melbourne auction, marks a significant lift from previous results, although the Bennetts had not previously produced a 12.7 micron bale, Mr Calvert said.

“I think the finest bale we had last year was 13.3 micron and sold for 8000c/kg greasy.
The ultrafine market that we’ve seen in the last week or so is better than it was 12 months ago and it was exceptional then.”

However, Mr Calvert said the record sale was not indicative of broader market conditions.

“It’s a very niche part of the market, with only a handful of bales produced around Australia in any one year.”

He said current ultrafine prices were encouraging for the few remaining specialist producers.

“Between this time last year and this year, we’ve seen the market reward probably the finer microns.
Last year if it was sub-13.5 micron it was being rewarded really well, whereas now it has moved and it really has to be sub-13 micron at this current time.”

Ultrafine Merino wool of this calibre, Mr Calvert said, is spun into knitwear worth thousands of euros per garment and may be blended with other luxury fibres such as cashmere or vicuña.

To highlight the market gap, he noted that another 13.1 micron bale with higher tensile strength sold this week for 12,000c/kg greasy.

“The difference of 0.4 micron was the best part of 21,000c/kg greasy.
If it has a 12 in front of it, it is in a different stratosphere.”

Endeavour Wool Exports principal Josh Lamb confirmed the Ashby bale will be processed at Loro Piana’s combing plant in Verrone, Biella, Italy.

Source: Wool Solutions / Sheep Central