Positive Mood at Ulster Wool Partners British Wool AGM and Conference

Record breaking UK shearers were celebrated at the AGM and annual conference last week.

Among those honored was Staffordshire-based Nick Greaves, who broke the world lamb shearing record, which has been held exclusively in New Zealand for the past 50 years, when he sheared an impressive 764 lambs in eight hours.  Also applauded was Scottish sheep shearer Una Cameron who smashed a world record beating the previous women's solo strong wool ewe record by 59 sheep. Meirion Evans, an experienced Welsh shearer was also successful in his British record-breaking attempt, shearing 791 sheep across nine hours.

All three were presented with a Harris Tweed Hebrides cap and a voucher for the British Wool Shop.

Andrew Hogley, Ulster Wool’s CEO congratulated those who had broken shearing records and highlighted the positive direction the wool price has taken in recent times.

He said: “Recent auctions have achieved the highest prices for more than five years and we’ve seen strong demand.  With prices up by more than 25% since the start of the season this bodes well for improved member returns.  Prices need to recover further to give farmers the returns they need for their wool, but we are currently in a much better position than we have been for some time.”

He also highlighted some of the marketing initiatives during the last year including a recent Shaun the Sheep carpet promotion.

This collaboration is seen as a key platform to aid the promotion of wool carpets to consumers. Over 1,000 retailers across the UK have Shaun the Sheep point-of-sale materials which are designed to educate consumers about the natural benefits of wool.

Delegates were also told about collaborations with Patrick Grant and Joe Lycett which have helped to increase consumer awareness.

Andrew said: “The team at Ulster Wool remain committed to driving consumer demand through campaigns and work with brand partners, manufacturers and processors. We are determined to continue building on this success for the benefit of all sheep farmers.”

Also addressing the conference were Gary Hurlstone from NextGen Tree Shelters and Mark Hogarth from Harris Tweed Hebrides who both spoke about the importance of Ulster wool to their businesses and products.

The meeting was coupled with a trip for delegates to the Harrison Spinks factory. Harrison Spinks is a major user of traceable British wool for their mattresses and recently hosted Princess Anne who presented them with the King’s Award for Sustainable Development.