FOR an organisation that purports to be a research and marketing body, the decision by Australian Wool Innovation to abandon the mulesing deadline is reckless, unwanted and unhelpful.

The wool industry had a commitment to end mulesing by December 2010.

The call as to whether or not growers would meet that deadline is a call for the industry and individual growers, not the industry's research and marketing company.

There is no argument that for many growers, meeting that deadline was going to be unrealistic, but the latest policy statement from AWI fails to acknowledge that many growers will meet the deadline.

For most of these growers it hasn't been easy, but they were committed to listening to what the customer wanted, which is a supply of unmulesed wool.

Whether we agree or not with the consumer policies of retailers isn't the question.

The AWI statement is reckless because it makes no mention of customer demands.

Did AWI talk to the retailers about this latest policy? If so what was their reaction?

We know the new board of AWI has invested since December in four overseas delegations to talk to major retailers and brands.

Growers have a right to know. AWI's silence has been deafening. The obvious conclusion that growers could draw from these delegations was that AWI failed change the retailers' opposition to mulesed wool.

Marketing is about perception.

And the perception that many Australian wool growers are trying to create is that they are listening to their customers and are striving to meet a deadline for an ongoing supply of unmulesed wool.

The latest announcement from AWI can harm those perceptions

Many of the current board directors were critical of AWI's involvement in the 2004 industry decision and what they believe was a lack of industry consultation leading to the decision.

The latest statement from AWI shows that current directors have learnt nothing.