Wool meeting is ‘positive’ - UFU

UFU hill farming chair Nigel McLaughlin said: “The meeting with DAERA Minister Gordon Lyons was very positive and we were glad to hear that he is willing to review the matter further. The wool sector has been badly hit by the pandemic with prices plummeting by approximately 100 percent.

“Northern Ireland has only one grading depot located in Muckamore, Co. Antrim and we want to ensure that it survives and remains open in future for the benefit of our sheep producers.”

Recently, many sheep producers have experienced an uplift in lamb prices however the UFU assures that financial aid to counterbalance the disruption caused to the wool market due to COVID-19, is still needed to sustain the sector.

“Regardless of what is going on in the world, sheep still need shorn for welfare reasons and this comes at a cost. Primary sheep producers continue to be frustrated by the wool return and its now costing more to send their wool to the grading depot than what they are getting for it. This is because the volume of wool Muckamore is receiving has decreased due to the collapse in manufacturing capacity overseas because of the pandemic and more laterally, the product market for finished goods.

“Farmers don’t consider the preparation and supplying of the product as being worthwhile anymore. That view jeopardises the future of the organised marketing of wool and has a knock-on effect on the wool industry and wool derived products nationwide. As a sustainable and environmentally friendly product with numerous uses, it’s disappointing that a large percentage of wool is now being wasted because of the devaluation caused by COVID-19.

“We now await the decision of DAERA Minister Lyons and are hopeful that despite Government not delivering funding to date, that they will do so in the coming weeks,” said Mr McLaughlin.