Photo: Roelof Bezuidenhout
Not only is this a headache for brokers, it results in penalties for the farmer.
When classing wool it’s essential to remove shorter pieces and dirty pieces from the fleece on the skirting table before the fleece is placed in the appropriate bin line prior to being pressed in a bale.
The goal is to prepare lines that are as uniform as possible in terms of length and fineness, as mixed lines can cause problems during processing.
When brokers receive bales with contents that aren’t uniform enough, it may be necessary for them to re-sort the wool at their own expense. And buyers will penalise careless growers by paying them less for poorly classed wool.
Don’t contaminate your clip with foreign material such as baling twine, plastic bags or even bale hooks.
Contact your nearest National Wool Growers’ Association branch or broker’s agent for advice on wool classing – it could save you a lot of money.
