The wool test statistics from AWTA show that after falling in February and March, wool test volumes increased by 12% in April compared with April 2017. Part of this increase was due to an extra working day in April given that Easter fell at the end of March/early April this year. It brings the year-to-date wool test volumes to a 0.9% increase for the 2017/18 season to April. There has been a significant increase in the volume of wool tested at either end of the micron range. Volumes tested of superfine wool of 18.5 micron and finer were 11% higher in the first ten months of the 2017/18 season. As a result, the total volume of this wool tested this season is the highest volume of superfine wool ever recorded for the ten months. The volume of broad wool (29 micron and broader) was up by 21% and was also at the highest ever level for the ten months. The volume of fine Merino wool between 19 and 20 micron was up 1% for the July to April period.

The volume of Merino wool between 21 and 24 micron declined by 12% for the ten months, almost wiping out the gain seen in the 2016/17 season. For 25 and 28 micron wool, volumes were down by 2%. Further details including a chart showing the volumes of wool tested by micron category for the 2017/18 season to April, compared with the previous four seasons are provided in the full version of the NCWSBA Weekly Newsletter, available to NCWSBA members.