Australia: Elders holds 'Towards 2010'

Elders Limited will hold the first Australian sale of commercial quantities of wool from properties that have ceased mulesing and from non mulesed sheep through an online auction beginning 2 June 2008.
The ‘Towards 2010’ sale is designed to support and promote Australian woolgrowers who are moving to meet the industry phase out to no longer mules their sheep beyond 2010.
“This sale will also meet the immediate needs of a number of our foreign supply chain customers and end retailers who have been increasingly asking for such wools in recent months,” said Elders General Manager Wool, Mark Rodda.
“We have found there to be a large amount of inquiry coming out of China, Europe and the USA to source wool from Australian properties that can declare that they no longer mules their sheep.”
“We have an obligation to identify wool from non mulesed sheep and properties that have ceased mulesing, to those overseas retailers. If we don’t, we fear that the wool industry could potentially lose these markets forever.”
Prior to the sale, 1200 bales of wool were made available for viewing through the online catalogue and at the saleroom.
The feature sale will be held through the Elders online Global Auction platform.
“Clients who are selling wool in the ‘Towards 2010’ feature sale will be required to sign the industry agreed National Vendor Declaration – Wool.
This grower declaration form will be clearly displayed on all wool sample boxes, prior to sale, and used as the basis for identifying wool in the online catalogue,” Mr Rodda said.
All the bales up for auction came from sheep that were no longer mulesed or from farms that ceased mulesing as of 1 January, 2007.
The National Vendor Declaration will be part of all broker catalogues from 18 July this year.