SYDNEY - Wool from Australian sheep mulesed without pain relief is less likely to reach reserve prices at auction than fleece from animals treated more humanely or not mulesed, it has been claimed.
SustainaWOOL programme manager Dr Paul Swan said that AWEX National Wool Declaration (NWD) data showed that wool from non-mulesed sheep and to a lesser extent, fleece from those mulesed with pain relief, was less likely to be 'passed in' (fail to meet its reserve).
“My view is that there is not an argument about whether there is substantial and broad-based demand for non-mulesed or ethically assured wool. The data does the talking,” he said.
