Mike's Corner

“With Change Comes Opportunity”
A  good friend told me this a few days ago and he is so right and we must be aware of what’s going on and jump on any opportunity that comes along!

Now is not a time to  panic and fire sell our products, as these days will subside and we will get back to business as usual!

Our Sale Dates (subject to change) are: April 2 and April 30 – if we change each sale will be 1 week later.
 
As everyone is aware there are many things that are affecting the wool market as we speak, such as:

1. Chinese tariffs on U.S. wool imports
2. Chinese Corona virus 
3. Chinese economy affecting global economy 
4. U.S. Stock Market plunge
5. Brexit economy issues 
6. Over Supply of high price wool top from previous two years 

With all this being said, I do believe that puts our American wools at about 25 to 30% less than we received at the same time last year. I expect our domestic demand to rise this year with indications that our military consumption will be much larger than it was last year.
 
The wool testing lab issue that occurred last year that cost so much heartburn for producers who offered their wool after mid-May of last year has been resolved. The Yocom McColl testing lab that has been testing our American wool for the past 40+ years has officially closed its doors. So the American wool industry has gotten together and agreed to send all of our samples for 2020 to the New Zealand Wool Testing Authority, thus giving the new proposed Texas A&M Agra Life Research Center testing lab in San Angelo, Texas, adequate time to be up and running for the 2021 season. I have full confidence in the NZ Lab as I have used them off and on for the past several years and on top of that their tests are cheaper and more accurate!
 
In closing, these cautious days will subside and when they do we in the sheep industry are in very good shape. The use of wool is growing by the day because of new technology available to put wool into many materials and allowing it to be machine washed and shrink resistant. The lamb Industries is in the same situation as consumption of lamb is going up around the world and the supply continues to shrink. 
 
Sheep will rule the range once again!
 
Mike

The Latest Wool News

Wool Weekly by Nutrien Wool

Learn more about the current wool market with details on current bases at the Australian markets this week. See the AWEX EMI 2017/18 & 2018/19 Seasons vs Current chart for comparison of the past 2 years wool market vs. this year's current situation. Read more

Secretary Perdue Announces New Innovation Initiative for USDA 

USDA – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, a department-wide initiative to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will stimulate innovation so that American agriculture can achieve the goal of increasing production by 40 percent while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050. Read More
 

Perdue: China will live up to ag import promises despite coronavirus

Agri-Pulse – China will follow through with the billions of dollars in additional ag purchases that it promised to make as part of the "phase one" trade pact with the U.S., but the coronavirus outbreak may delay the sales, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told reporters Thursday.
 
In the pact that the U.S. and China signed on Jan. 15 China agreed to import $36.5 billion in U.S. farm commodities in 2020 and $43.5 billion in 2021. That's a major increase from the country's normal purchases that totaled about $20 billion in 2017, before the U.S. began placing tariffs on China, sparking a trade war. Read more
 

USDA and DOL Announce Information Sharing to Assist H-2A Employers

USDA – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to help facilitate the identification of foreign and domestic workers that may be available and eligible to transfer to other U.S. agricultural sector employers to fulfill critical workforce needs within the U.S. under existing regulatory authority during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ensuring minimal disruption for our agricultural workforce during these uncertain times is a top priority for this administration,” Secretary Perdue said. “President Trump knows that these workers are critical to maintaining our food supply and our farmers and ranchers are counting on their ability to work. We will continue to work to make sure our supply chain is impacted as minimally as possible.” Read more
 

Lamb Industry Presses for USDA Meat Purchases

ASI – The American Sheep Industry Association and the National Lamb Feeders Association sent a letter to USDA Under Secretary Greg Ibach calling for prompt solicitation of bids under a Feb. 19 Pre-Solicitation Notice Announcement for Trade Mitigation Purchase of Lamb Products. 

Contact Us

---

Mike Corn

mwc1983@roswellwool.com
(575) 622-3360
 

Ian MacKenzie

ian@roswellwool.com
(661) 363-3260 cell
 

www.roswellwool.com

1-800-624-WOOL