FINDING a cost-effective but credible system for auditing the National Wool Declaration is one big challenge for the wool industry at the moment.

Overseas wool-apparel retailers keen to source unmulesed wool are demanding an on-farm audit program of the declarations.

Because Australian Wool Innovation is now unlikely to provide funding, the Industry Services Advisory Committee of AWEX, which administers the NWD, is looking at other options.

One option high on the list is to commission the professional woolclasser.

Currently the classer has a range of responsibilities including ensuring clips are classed according to the code of practice.

The notion is that a classer, if he or she can see that a sheep hasn't been mulesed, should be prepared to put his or her signature to the declaration.

In the meantime the uptake of declarations for dark and medullated fibre risk has climbed slowly to 46.8 per cent of all eligible combing-length Merino wools.

Declarations for un-mulesed and ceased-mulesing status is improving but still less than 6 per cent.

Where's Wal?

IF THE wool industry is hoping for endorsement from a high for the National Wool Declaration they can cross Australian Wool Innovation chairman Wal Merriman off the list.

"Too many legal implications," Wal told C&C as to why he doesn't use the declaration for either the use of pain-relief treatment at mulesing or the dark and medullated fibre risk assessment of his Merryville clip.

"However if growers want to use the declarations that is their business," he said.

Blanket appeal

CRESWICK Woollen Mills, the sole producer of the Country Fire Authority's Personal Protection Blanket is offering to donate $25 to the CFA for each blanket it sells this season.

The blanket, made from Australian wool and synthetic fire-resistant Aramid fibres, retails for $275. It is available direct from the Creswick mill or its retail outlet in Hawthorn.

Further details are available at the Creswick Woollen Mills website.