The British wool sale held on 19 November saw prices drop despite selective bidding with good interest on the combing types. The British Wool index fell 2.7% sale on sale to £1.28 a kg clean. The average price for clean inched up to £1.26 a kg clean and for greasy to £0.84 a kg.
A total of 1.661 million kg was offered, of which, 1.089 million kg was sold, meaning the market posted a clearance rate of 65.6%, as against 70% in the previous sale. The clearances by wool type were as follows; fine wool 82%, medium wool 82%, crossbred wool 47%, hill wool 42%, and mountain wool 76%.
Price movements for key wool types were as follows;
Fine: Hogs were in buyers’ favour, Ewes No1 1% cheaper, Ewes No2 fully firm and light grey 2.5% cheaper.
Medium: Hogs No2 were fully firm, Ewes No1 1.5% cheaper, Ewes No2 1% cheaper. Naturally Discoloured up to 5% cheaper and light grey 1.5% cheaper.
Mules: Hogs were in buyers’ favour, Ewes No1 1.5% cheaper, Ewes No2 1% cheaper. Cott grades in buyers’ favour to 1.5% cheaper and light grey in buyers’ favour.
Cheviots: Hogs were up to 1.5% cheaper and Ewes No2 1.5% cheaper.
Radnors: Fine was unsold. Mediums were sold at a slightly lower level than when last sold.
Welsh were Firm.
Blackface: No1 & No2 were firm and in buyers’ favour and Fine No1 1.5% cheaper. Cotts where sold were up to 3% cheaper.
Swaledale: No1 were sold at a slightly higher level than the last price achieved while No2 were sold at a slightly lower level than the last price achieved. Grey remained Firm.
