AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation is about to rack its collective brains for ways to boost the uptake of adoption of its on-farm research results and to re-instill confidence in Merino sheep.
AWI is not impressed, according to chairman Wal Merriman, with the extension efforts of the departmental people and consultants. As Wal points out, it seems as though only 20 per cent of growers bother to adopt the new technologies.
AWI has invited up to 40 young wool growers to a forum in Sydney next Thursday to discuss ideas. And if all goes to plan, AWI would like to make "heroes" of these youngsters so they can spread the word, particularly with regards to their confidence in Merino sheep and wool.
In the meantime, C&C would suggest the single most powerful incentive is price, which is what AWI's ultimate objective should be.
AWI chief executive Brenda McGahan prefers not to mention price as an objective but rather "to sell more wool".
Wal agrees prices are far from flash, although he believes this has more to do with the strength of Australian dollar than a lack of demand for wool.
"Mister Wal, we already pay you top dollar," Wal said Chinese mills officials, who believe they are paying "top dollar" in US dollars, recently told him.
Generic genie
A RETURN to a generic wool promotion is in the wind, although Australian Wool Innovation is not calling it that. The preferred term is a "wool awareness campaign".
AWI chairman Wal Merriman hinted a return to an awareness campaign at AWI's recent annual meeting in Sydney.
"There is a need for wool awareness, which is country specific and garment specific," Wal told the small gathering of grower/shareholders without being too specific about AWI's intentions.
One report doing the rounds is that AWI is about to embark on a $5 million "wool awareness" campaign in the UK.
AWI London-based board member Laurence Modiano has been lobbying hard for such a campaign, following his election to the board 12 months ago.
To date, Laurence has been instrumental in the commissioning of a $335,000 report by the London marketing agency, Keep. That report had been gathering dust since its release in April.
Readers might recall in August, Laurence's public criticisms of AWI current marketing and promotional strategies and his push for the Keep recommendations. C&C suspects growers will become much wiser as to AWI's intentions following a review of its operation scheduled for early next year.
