2008 News
International retailers praise wool industry’s progress towards 2010
7 May 2008
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) has received positive feedback on the industry’s progress towards the commitment to the phasing out of the current practice of mulesing by 31 December 2010 during its most recent round of meetings with retailers across Europe and the United States.
AWI European and United States representatives with Dr Norman Blackman, Manager of the Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce (Taskforce), met with 31 retailers over the past two weeks to provide updates on the alternative flystrike prevention methods being developed by the industry, and to also provide assurance that the industry remains committed to phasing out of the current practice of mulesing by 31 December 2010.
“The retailers involved appreciated the updates we provided. Feedback received by us is that there is full confidence in the industry’s commitment to the phasing out of the current practice of mulesing by 31 December 2010,” said Dr Blackman.
“We spent significant time briefing the retailers on the welfare benefits of the clips technology, and they now clearly understand that the use of the clips does not constitute mulesing and will provide far greater welfare outcomes to Australian Merino sheep.
“They also understand that the industry will only accept alternative flystrike prevention methods if they have significant welfare benefits. Animal welfare studies are being applied to all the new procedures to ensure this. Importantly the retailers are now also aware that pain relief is being used widely by woolgrowers who are continuing to mules lambs until the alternatives are available in 2010.
“We also stressed to retailers that the clips and intradermal injections are short term solutions, with a genetic solution being the long term objective for the industry,” said Dr Blackman.
In the lead up to the mulesing phase out there has been significant progress in the development of the clips technology which is progressing to commercial application well before 2010 and intradermal injections which are still being researched.
Genetic change is also well underway with 14% of woolgrowers actively pursuing breeding options to phase out the need to mules.
Dr Blackman said AWI and the Taskforce would continue to provide regular updates to retailers in the lead up to 2010, as it has been doing since 2004.
“Retailers asked that we meet twice a year to provide updates in the lead up to 2010. We have a highly professional team of people from AWI / The Woolmark Company (TWC) that can assist us in doing this, as well as support from the Australian Embassy and the National Retail Federation (NRF) in the US,” concluded Dr Blackman.