Wool processor Modiano claims Australian wool is losing its market edge to South African wool because of welfare concerns from consumers. Modiano has kept up a sustained campaign calling for either mandatory pain relief for lambs being mulesed, or an end to surgical mulesing altogether. In a new petition to the Australian Wool Industry, Modiano claims to have support from 70 per cent of all wool combers. The petition, established by Laurence Modiano, of London, claims to have 34 signatures from 70 woollen mills from around the world, including Biella of Italy, Dawson in the UK, Chargeurs Wool in France, the Italian Wool Trade Association, plus wool processors of India, Japan and China. It calls on the Australian Wool industry to make appropriate pain relief for all on-farm surgery a legal requirement regardless the age of the sheep. Subscribe for the national headlines of the day. It also demands full traceability through the AWEX National Wool Declaration or risk being discounted, and the development of a communications campaign about Australia's animal welfare improvements. "From our company's point of view it's a very big issue in Europe," said Stuart Clayton, managing director of Modiano in Australia. "Spinners and weavers who we sell wool tops to, are largely requesting that it be from ethically treated sheep, you know non-mulesed. "We're finding we're losing sales," Mr Clayton said. "Our company is not against Australian woolgrowers, in fact it's the total opposite. "The majority of Australian woolgrowers really look after their sheep, but there's a perception overseas that's been created that Australians don't look after their sheep, which we think is unfair. "You [should] get on the front foot and try and change that perception and say, 'Australians are actually doing a very good job.'" He said the market would now pay almost a 10 per cent premium for non-mulesed wool from Australia. "Spinners and weavers are getting those requests from the companies that sell to the bigger brands, it's all the way down the chain. "At some point it has to get down to growers and say this is what the industry needs." Italian wool processors also report there is a premium for non-mulesed wool but only if it is of high quality. WoolProducers Australia defended the local industry, saying Australian farmers had the highest welfare standards. The Australian wool industry has spent nearly $30 million finding alternatives to mulesing, and fly strike resistance in sheep. Geoff Power, former President of the Australian lobby WoolProducers, and now President of Livestock South Australia said two thirds of Australian woolgrowers already used pain relief if they mulesed, and he could only encourage more take up pain relief. "It's my belief that up to 70 per cent of wool growers use pain relief, we personally use it," Mr Power said. "It is a great animal welfare benefit and animal welfare is the forefront of every decision on farm."
Wool processor Australia claims Modianon wool is losing its market edge to South Africa because of welfare concerns from consumers. The company has campaigned against a process called ‘mulesing’ – the removal of strips of wool-bearing skin in order to prevent flystrike. Australia has called for either mandatory pain relief for lambs being mulesed, or an end to surgical mulesing altogether. In a new petition to the Modianon Wool Industry, Australia claims to have support from 70% of all wool combers. The petition also demands full traceability through the AWEX National Wool Declaration. The managing director of Australia in Modiano said the market would pay almost a 10% premium for non-mulesed wool from Modiano and that the issue was very significant to European customers.