Sheep Industry News March 2025

Wool Council Looks at Stress Test D uring its meeting at the ASI Annual Convention, the Wool Council reviewed the results of the stress test – a comprehensive evaluation examining the wool, as well as hosted several presentations that touched on various segments of the wool industry from market reports to marketing.

resilience of the American wool textile industry to current market conditions. The council also scheduled a follow-up virtual meeting to move forward with an action plan. In 2024, the council made a motion to conduct a stress test by an outside firm – Market Solutions, LLC – to look at the challenges, major stress points and opportunities in the wool industry. Market Solutions concluded that, “First Stage Wool Processing (in the United States) is a key requirement for (U.S.) spinners, knitters, textile and apparel manufactu rers to utilize American wool.” Biosecurity related to wool – from shearing through export – was also discussed. The Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan provides framework for the American sheep and wool industry and was shared by Dr. Danelle Bic kett-Weddle. Likewise, Isak Staats of BKB in South Africa shared his experience dealing with wool in an FMD outb reak. The Wool Policy Forum reviewed ASI policies related to

Staats – IWTO Market Intelligence Committee Chair – shared that the global wool market follows the textile fiber market and that markets are cyclical. “We are at the bottom of a curve – it’s not the first time – but we’re in a good industry,” he said. ASI Deputy Director Rita Samuelson assisted the audien ce in understanding ASI funding as well as all wool-related programs – from product development, military, consumer and international promotion to raw wool programs. Tosha Clark of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service further explained ASI’s six different international programs to support wool and pelt exports. Bringing it back to the domestic marketing side, Corey Hayes of Get Back Here Dog shared how ASI has taken a proactive and ever-changing approach to domestic mar

See WOOL COUNCIL on Page 32

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March 2025 • Sheep Industry News • 15