Australian wool production falls as dry conditions continue

The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee’s third forecast of shorn wool production in 2019/20 is 272 mkg greasy. This is a 9.2% decline on 2018/19 that is attributable to lower sheep shorn numbers and lighter average fleece weights due to...

Drought continues to impact Australian wool production

The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee forecasts that Australian shorn wool production for 2018/19 will be 298 mkg greasy. This is a 12.7% decline from the levels in 2017/18 and reflects the continuing drought conditions across large...

Call for nominations - 2019 NCWSBA Wool Broker Award

The National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia is calling for nominations for the 2019 NCWSBA Wool Broker Award. The Award is in its eighth successful year and recognises excellence in service to woolgrowers, auctioneering and/or innovation...

Shorn wool production moves higher

The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee’s second forecast of shorn wool production in 2021/22 is 310 Mkg greasy, up 5.2% on 2020/21. Widespread rainfall throughout many key wool producing regions augurs well for a good spring season. Both...

Key Test Data - January 2014

Wool to Benefit BlazeAid Charity

BlazeAid has been chosen as this year's Australian Sheep and Wool Show fleece competition charity. The volunteer organisation works with farmers and families in rural Australia to rebuild livestock fences that have been destroyed by natural disasters...

Research papers

AWTA has achieved a world wide reputation for its research work and now has one of the largest teams of scientists working on raw wool metrology. Our scientists regularly report on their work to the technical forums of the International Wool Textile...

Staple Length & Strength

One of the most important characteristics for determining the value of greasy wool is the average fibre length that will be achieved when the wool has been processed or combed into wool top. This length is known as the Hauteur (fibre length in the Wool...

Dark & Medullated Fibre

The Dark Fibre Testing service offered by AWTA is targeted at white-wool growers who are attempting to manage contamination from exotic sheep breeds, or who wish to monitor the contamination in lots carrying a high risk of contamination. Two...

Dark & Medullated Fibre Risk Scheme

Australian Merino wool has enjoyed a high reputation and price premium for more than one hundred years because it produced wool tops with low levels of dark and medullated fibre contamination. Recently, early and later stage processors of Australian...

Key Test Data Summary for March 2013

The monthly comparisons of Total Lots, Bales and Weight for March 2013 compared with the same period last season are: -8.9%, -6.3% and -5.9% respectively. The progressive comparisons of Total Lots, Bales and Weight for July 2012 – March 2013 compared...

Terms and Conditions

By requesting any of the services from this division of AWTA Ltd, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to be bound by the Terms & Conditions for the provision of the services. We may amend the Terms & Conditions at any time by notifying you,...

COVID Impact on Service Time

Like all businesses and organisations across Australia, AWTA has recently suffered increased staff absenteeism due to the impact of COVID on our workforce. Although all our employees are vaccinated, we have staff who have been infected through...

Minor Earthquake - Melbourne Laboratory Operating as Usual

A minor Earthquake struck the Melbourne area this morning at 09:16AM. Whilst the Earthquake did disrupt the AWTA Melbourne Laboratory momentarily and cause the evacuation of the facility for 20 minutes, we have incurred no significant damage. We have...

Scoured Wool

Scouring is the process of preparing and washing a batch of raw sheep's wool to remove impurities such as grease, dirt and suint. AWTA Raw Wool is able to perform the certified testing of scoured and carbonised wool for Wool Base, Vegetable Matter Base...

IWTO Combined Certificates & OMLs

Wool Exporters and processors are required by purchasers to provide test certificates that show that a consignment of wool meet the requirments specified in a contract. These documents are also used to authorise payments by banks issuing letters of...

TOPMARK Benchmarking

TOPMARK is a free benchmarking service for processing mills and topmakers around the world. Independent trials have established there is a strong correlation between the predictive formulae used in this service and the processing performance of wool...

Key Test Data - August 2013 (RTF)

Key Test Data - August 2013

Call for nominations - 2017 NCWSBA Wool Broker Award

NCWSBA is calling for nominations for the 2017 NCWSBA Wool Broker Award. The Award is in its sixth successful year and recognises excellence in service to woolgrowers, auctioneering and/or innovation by an outstanding wool broker employee who is...

Key Test Data - October 2013

Key Test Data - December 2013 (RTF)

Key Test Data - December 2013

Key Test Data - September 2013

Key Test Data - September 2013 (RTF)

Key Test Data - November 2013 (RTF)

Australian wool production impacted by tough season

The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee’s updated forecast of shorn wool production in 2018/19 is 305 mkg greasy, down by 10.8% from 2017/18. Continuing dry conditions in New South Wales, Queensland, northern Victoria, east Gippsland and...

Key Test Data - July 2013

Improved seasonal conditions but low sheep numbers limit recovery in shorn wool production

The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee’s fourth forecast of shorn wool production in 2019/20 is 281 mkg greasy. This is a 6.3% decline on the 300 mkg estimate for 2018/19 as lowsheep numbers and the enduring impact of drought continue to...

Premium Yield Test

Occasionally clients with an urgent requirement for test results can be frustrated by small delays in the issuing of test results due to the need to perform the testing of additional sub-samples or “check-testing”. This happens more frequently with...

Grand Final Public Holiday 2015 - Victoria

The Victorian State Government has recently declared that Friday 02 October 2015 will be a public holiday in Victoria. Clients should note that the AWTA Raw Wool Melbourne Laboratory will be open for business as usual on this day.

Donations to diabetes charity

The sale of fleeces donated by participants of the Australian Fleece Competition have raised more than $11,000 for Diabetes Australia. In its 16th year, the fleeces donated by participants of the Australian Fleece Competition have raised more than...

Grand Final Public Holiday 2016 - Victoria

The Victorian State Government has declared that Friday 30 September 2016 will be a public holiday in Victoria. Clients should note that the AWTA Melbourne Laboratory will be closed on this day. This Public Holiday will affect clients selling wool in...

Delay to issuing Test Results - S24 & M24

Due to much higher than anticipated workload for next week’s sale there will be a delay in the issuing of some test results and consequently these tests will miss the normal catalogue transmission deadline on Friday. The NASC met this morning and have...

Trends Within Micron Range

Key Test Data - January 2014 (RTF)