11/12/2024
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF WOOL?
By Susan Schoenian
Sheep & Goat Specialist Emeritus
University of Maryland Extension
A few months ago, I was listening to an Irish podcast about sheep. The topic was Ireland’s sheep welfare scheme, whereby sheep farmers could receive payments for performing (and documenting) certain animal welfare practices, including shearing.
I didn’t understand why farmers would be paid to shear their sheep. After all, you shear sheep to get their wool, so you can sell it. Then, a recent trip to the Yorkshire Dales (England) provided the reality check. In the British Isles, wool is generally not profitable. It is a cost of production; thus, shearing is a welfare need. Unlike the US, there aren’t many hair sheep in the UK (yet) and most UK sheep (e.g., Swaledale) produce a low-quality coarse wool with little market value.
Worldwide wool comprises only about 3 percent of the textile market. Synthetic fibers (chemical, usually plastic-derived) account for up to 75 percent of the world fiber demand. Is this likely to change in the future? Probably not. Synthetic fibers are cheaper and usually more versatile.
Nowhere is the demise of wool sadder than in the British Isles. Wool was such an important part of Britain’s history and heritage, more so than any other commodity. Wool was similarly important in early Colonial America, despite efforts by the King to limit it. In fact, did you know that restrictive policies pertaining to wool, along with other oppressive actions such as the Stamp Act helped incite the American Revolution?
Our US wool industry is small and diverse. There are still large flocks (bands) of sheep in the western US that produce fine wool. In fact, they account for most of the wool production in the US. Throughout the US (and especially here), there are many small flocks that produce wool, usually of coarser grades, for various niche markets. In between these two is where many sheep producers find themselves. They either raise hair sheep or meat (or dual-purpose) breeds whose wool has little value (similar to the UK).
While hair sheep don’t suit all production scenarios/needs, the reasons for avoiding them have largely disappeared and their numbers continue to rise. Replacing wool sheep with hair sheep (or growing the industry with hair sheep) is not a bad thing, but it is a change that some sheep people have difficulty swallowing. They need to get over it. Hair sheep have many outstanding qualities, including greater resistance to internal parasites and high levels of reproduction.
Despite these realities, wool will continue to be important to the US sheep industry. US growers have options for processing small quantities of fiber. Fiber festivals abound and provide outlets for fleeces, yarn, roving, and other wool products. Adding value seems to be the way to realize profit on the wool side. Hopefully, our range sheep industry (Out West) will survive (better yet, grow) and remain a viable source of fine wool.
Like many sheep people, I am hopeful that wool will make a comeback. I am hopeful that more people will learn to shear. When it is a by-product of meat production, wool does not require additional resources, so it is very sustainable. For example, the feed and water requirements for wooled and hair sheep do not differ significantly. Wool textiles are biodegradable whereas synthetic fibers contaminate the environment with plastic.
Wool clothing is more practical than it used to be. They continue to find new uses for wool, especially the lesser grades. Pelletizing wool into a soil amendment is becoming more common. Many people use wool as a mulch in their gardens. You can put wool insulation in your house. Wool is used in many other products including dryer balls, rope, tennis balls, surf boards, and bricks, to name a few.
Eat lamb, wear wool.
Published in the Delmarva Farmer, September 27, 2024.
https://americanfarm.com/articles/delmarvafarmer/what-is-the-future-of-wool-shepherds-notebook/
