SORRY - no politics for us we are your marketing and research administrator.
That's the subtle change that Australian Wool Innovation seems to be wanting to portray to its grower levy-payers.
After what has been a turbulent several months for AWI with resignations, clashes between board members, criticisms from overseas processors and retailers of wool, and with Agriculture Minister Tony Burke breathing down its neck, AWI is keen to get back to the basics, and leave the political fighting to the growers.
That might be a noble move, but the reality among overseas interests is that AWI is the leader of Australia's wool industry and remains the only organisation with the structure and funds to influence matters both domestically and abroad.
Last week AWI acting chief executive Stuart McCullough was throwing his or at least AWI's support behind the National Wool Declaration.
The NWD, which can be used for declaring the mulesing status of clips, has now been embraced by global retailers of wool apparel and the RSPCA as an indicator that Australian growers are listening to the concerns of those opposed to surgical mulesing.
But AWI's latest press release in support of the NWD will be hollow unless AWI commits funds to promote its use.
Such funds could easily be garnered from its marketing rather than its research budget.
C&C would also suggest that AWI chairman Wal Merriman needs to throw his weight behind the NWD.
Mr Merriman has told C&C he doesn't use a declaration when selling his Merryville clips and that he believes it should be a matter of choice whether or not growers use it.
Woolly West
ONE grower group wary of the National Vendor Declaration is the Western Australian Farmers Federation, which has written to Agriculture Minister Tony Burke to oppose his funding support for an on-farm audit program for the declaration.
The WA view is that the declaration should be on a user pays basis. The truth is the pro-mulesing lobby don't want to see any differentiation in the market between mulesing and unmulesed clips.
That's not a smart move. Last week's fall in wool prices clearly demonstrates that the market needs all the support or demand it can generate, particularly from those retailers nervous about mulesing.
If these retailers return to the market their support will eventually flow across all wool types regardless of whether it is mulesing or unmulesed.
Diary dates
THE Geelong's Gordon Wool School may now be history but not so its old students.
On Saturday, June 5 at the Highton Bowls Club the Gordon Wool School Old Students Association is holding its annual dinner. Details are available from Andrew Partridge of Lempriere Fox & Lillie at andrewp@lfl.com.au
And on June 16 at Bendigo, Landmark's Athol Frederick will be staging the company's annual woolclasser evening seminar at the Bendigo TAFE.
