ANTI-WOOL campaigners People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are a bunch of fools.

At least that's the only conclusion any sane-thinking person could reach when confronted with their latest idiotic attack on wool.

In an open letter to Australian farmers, PETA applauded the efforts of producers who have stopped museling, but in its "Have a heart: don't buy wool" campaign, it urged shoppers to shun wool in favour of cotton and man-made fibres on the basis that farming animals for fibre is cruel.

To argue that every aspect of wool production is cruel is ignorant. To call for a total ban on all wool is vicious and misguided

The wool industry has long suspected PETA's campaign against mulesing - now in its sixth year - was really only a front to destroy the wool industry.

This latest campaign has dropped any pretence that PETA is primarily concerned with animal cruelty.

It is against anything to do with farming animals for fibre.

That they claim wool production is cruel shows how ignorant they are of animal husbandry. They don't understand that to leave the wool on the sheep is the real cruelty.

Never mind that wool is durable, sustainable and offers a way for agriculture and the textile industry to reduce its environmental footprint.

But PETA has never let facts or logic get in their way before, so why expect them to do so with wool?

The problem is that this sort of baseless rubbish influences impressionable young minds that see PETA's campaigns against genuine cruelty and presume wool is in the same league.

It isn't. It has never been, and never will be.

It pains The Weekly Times to report on the antics of this shameless group of publicity seekers.

But we believe wool growers and the entire rural community must be made aware of the attacks being launched on them, no matter how irrational or unfair.

PETA and the threat they pose are real. The logic and "facts" they present in their war against wool are not.

The wool industry needs a united voice to promote the benefits of renewable fibre.

Burying their head in the sand and refusing to debate the issue will surely guarantee PETA a victory.

Nick off PETA and leave the wool industry alone.