NEWLY appointed Australian Wool Innovation board member, Laurence Modiano, is confident international retailers can be convinced mulesing is an essential practice in Australian wool production.
Mr Modiano, a UK wool processor, and fellow board member Western Australian wool grower David Webster, want AWI to re-open negotiations in the hope of getting overseas retailers and brands to soften their stance on Australia ceasing mulesing from 2010.
Mr Modiano's sentiments were backed up by Australian Wool Growers Association chairman Martin Oppenheimer.
"AWI needs to send a positive message," Mr Oppenheimer said.
"The taskforce model of negotiating with retailers failed.
"I'm confident with the right skilled negotiators we will be able to sell our message to meet the needs of the retailers' CSR (corporate social responsibility) policy."
The Australian Wool Growers Association supported the challengers to the AWI board at yesterday's annual meeting in Perth.
Only former AWI chairman Brian van Rooyen survived the election, with the other sitting members replaced by candidates opposed to the 2010 mulesing deadline.
Seven of AWI's nine directors are now opposed to the deadline.
But WoolProducers president Don Hamblin, who supported the ousted directors, said the new AWI board may face more opposition from retailers than it had bargained for.
"AWI is only part of the industry in this mulesing debate," Mr Hamblin said.
"The whole chain in the wool pipeline has a responsibility of meeting the needs of our customers.
"I think they (AWI board) will be in for a real surprise when they come face to face with the retailers."
