The latest data on mulesing status from the National Wool Declaration was released by AWEX last week. It shows a significant 16% fall in the total number of first hand bales for the season to February. However, the number of bales declared as Non-Mulesed (NM) or as Pain Relief (PR) both recorded much smaller declines: 6% lower year on year for PR-declared wool and just 4% lower for NM-declared wool. As a result, the proportion of wool offered at auction in the July 2018 to February 2019 period declared as NM reached 13%, the highest share ever recorded. The proportion of wool declared as PR was 34.5%. In total, 47.5% of wool offered at auction this season was either from non-mulesed sheep or from sheep mulesed with pain relief.

Further details, including a chart showing the shows the total number of bales in each category of mulesing declaration for each season to February since 2013/14, is contained in this week’s edition of the Weekly Newsletter. Available to NCWSBA members.