The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2014 - Issue 35 | Page 44

SHEEP

BWMB - Passion
for an Industry
Commitment to
a tradition
IAN WILKINSON recently visited
the BWMB HQ in Bradford and
discovered a highly professional
and impressive organisation
that works hard to promote and
sell British wool worldwide.
I had the pleasure of
meeting up with Gareth
Jones at the British
Wool Marketing Board’s
impressive headquarters
in Canal Road, Bradford
which is also home to one
of their 11 depots around
the country - which can
hold up to a million kilos of
raw wool.
Gareth explained the ethos of
both BWMB and the auction
process whose main aim is
to maximise the revenues for
the UK’s wool producers.
Although the UK now only
contributes two percent of the
world wool production, it still
has a universal name for quality
and diversity drawing from 60
different pure breeds with over
100 potential grades.
The sad fact is that since
foot and mouth – coupled with
changes to the farm subsidies

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Aug/Sep 2014 FarmersMart

regime - 15 million kilos a year
less is now produced than in
2000.
THE QUALITY OF BRITISH
WOOL IS UNSURPASSED
Quality, however, has never
reduced and much of the
UK’s production (60 percent)
goes for carpet production.
Most of world’s finest Hotels
know the benefits of British
wool carpets and just about
every airline uses British wool
carpets and upholstery - such
is the hardwearing quality of
UK wool.
BWMB has a unique
electronic auction system
that is the envy of the world
which ensures the producers
maximise the value of their
wool and receive the true
market value for their wool.
A small sample of every bale
of wool is tested in detail

for vegetable matter, colour,
and yield after grading and
packing. This means buyers
can purchase unseen with total
confidence. All details are
contained in the pre-auction
catalogue so when it comes
to the auction, they are fully
prepared to bid. First bids are
logged within two seconds
and the sale is usually closed
within 10 seconds showing
the bid price.
A WORLD AWAY FROM
LIVESTOCK AUCTIONS!
The auctions are very
different to the crash and
clatter of a livestock auction!
The well-dressed auctioneers
still sit facing the bidders;
but there is no rapid fire,
babble, shout and crash of
the makeshift gavel pointed
at the bidder s (clad in muddy
wellies and Barbour jacket),
Instead there is the almost
silent tapping of laptop keys
and the almost imperceptible
ping of a concluded sale –
all highlighted and followed
on large plasma screens by

smartly clad men and all in
the serene surroundings of
an air-conditioned room – not
a grumpy BAA scratching of
hooves , or clattering pen in
sight.
The shearing season runs
from May to July with the
selling season from July to
June of the following next
year. Each sale consists of
about 1.5 million kilos of wool,
each lot comprising 8-9 tons
(about 24 bales) and each
has a reserve price set. Those
unsold or which do not meet
their reserve are re allocated to
a future sale. The 2013–2014
selling season completed at
99% of all wool sold, with an
average increased price.
Buyers can buy now or buy
forward, securing at the day’s
price – all payments are made
in full before collection, which
ensures that BWMB have no
bad debts.
It is an interesting experience
and after my visit, I felt assured
that the future of British wool
is in the finest possible hands
with BWMB.

To read more, visit www.farmers-mart.co.uk