NON WOOL CONTAMINATION IN NEW ZEALAND GREASY WOOL. PRESENTED BY CAVALIER WOOLSCOURERS

1. NON WOOL CONTAMINATIONIN NEW ZEALAND GREASY WOOL.PRESENTED BY CAVALIER WOOLSCOURERS

2. IS NEW ZEALAND GREASY WOOL FREE FROM CONTAMINATION?NO IT IS NOT. CONTAMINATED GREASY WOOL IS A WOOL INDUSTRY ISSUE OF SIGNIFICANCE

3. Over the last year or so, we have seen a large increase in the amount of non wool contaminants found in greasy bales.In the last 8 months alone we have logged a total of 128 contaminations in the SI and 98 in the NI.Not all of the contamination found can be traced back to a farm brand but we do our best to identify the origin. Our metal detectors have separated out over 700 items in three months alone.

4. What’s happened to the shearing shed quality standards? • There have been many initiatives over the years including Woolpro’s Fernmark programme, Wools of New Zealand’s Integrity programme and the Wrightson Wool Care (Blue Bin) programme. • It appears that these systems are failing. • Is it apathy through low wool returns? • Is it the professionalism of the shearing contractors?

5. Apathy leads to the following: • No matter what the price of wool is on the day, if the perception is that New Zealand wool is contaminated it will only lower the price further as it reduces the integrity of the product and its international reputation. • Dirty wool sheds create an environment for quality issues. • These three simple fixes could reduce contamination – coat hangers, rubbish bins and press bar chains.

6. CONTAMINATION COMES IN VARIOUS FORMS Do you recognise the farm brands on the following bales? These are the are actual bales that the contamination was found in

7. Our most common find is press bars. These cause the most damage to our scour machinery if undetected. This caused $5K damage

8. Wouldn’t you notice this missing!!??If undiscovered this will shatter and disperse through the scoured wool Tell us if you’ve lost something. Mark your bale

9. It’s 8am boys, time for smoko! Somebody knows this clock has gone!!Plastic would splinter through scoured wool

10. Unbelievable that all this was found in one bale.Machinery downtime occurs due to damage, discolouration of wool from crayons, synthetic fibre contamination.

11. Again, if undetected this could be shredded through scoured product. Potential claim: $20K

12. Despite years of educating growers to use newspaper as bale dividers the message is still not getting through.Synthetic fibre if shredded could contaminate meters of yarn costing the exporter more than $20 thousand per bag.

13. We have noticed an increase in clothing contamination. This is as bad as it gets

14. Ready to damage the reputation of New Zealand wool producers. Are these items yours?

15. Chur boss, hope you’re not in the bale as well!

16. This shows the catastrophic outcome of undetected coloured synthetic fibre. It has gone through the scouring and mill processes undetected and the peppered yarn resulted in a $5,000Euro claim Why would a mill owner pay a premium for this?

17. Undetected Pleasant Point coloured fibre contaminated 7,000m of tennis ball felt resulting in a $20,000 claim.

18. What our Scouring group is doing about this problem; • All staff involved in the sorting area are trained in wool and wool sorting. • We operate a $ reward program for staff whom find contamination and can identify the bale that the contamination came from. • We have spent $200,000 on in-line metal detection units.

19. We train our staff and provide feedback to our customers about the important issue of contamination in the greasy wool. However we are just the Ambulance at the bottom of the cliff and the problem must be addressed in the shearing shed.

20. Farmers: Keep your sheds clean and tidy and provide rubbish bins, clothes hooks and press bar chains. If you lose any items or think you’ve lost items, just write on the bale or on your specifications. 80% of the wool grown in New Zealand is processed here. If we know that there is an issue we will sort it for you and even return your lost property.

21. Shearing: Don’t start your job until the board is tidy. At the end of the day when you’re having a beer, don’t throw your bottle tops into the wool. Keep a count of your clothing. Shearers, if you lose a singlet, get the presser to mark on the bale and then we will find it for you. Wool is a premium and quality product. Have pride in your job and maintain your quality standards despite the environment. Note: we have no examples of contamination from Merino clips.

22. WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE AND CONTAMINATION COSTS? What we know is that this contamination has not come from the scour.Who should pay?Shearing Contractors FarmersBrokers Private Merchants ExportersScoursMills

23. On 13th May an industry meeting was held with representatives from every sector of the wool pipeline to discuss this issue. The meeting was positive and unified, it was agreed that the following steps be taken as a starting point: • Raise awareness of the issue through networks such as Fed Farmers, Tectra training, brokers, private merchants, Shear New Zealand • Tectra and Cavalier Woolscourers have agreed to run training workshops for pressers onsite, both North and South Island. • Information to flow through shearing contractors associations and various farmer organizations. • Brokers and private merchants field representatives to distribute posters and contamination bins and raise awareness. • Articles in relevant publications. • Provide six monthly feedback and ongoing monitoring.

24. The End This presentation can be found on our website: www.cavalierwoolscourers.co.nz