VITERRA, the Canadian-owned grain and wool trader, was the top wool auction buyer in 2009-10.

Viterra, according to AWEX, bought 187,519 bales for the year, ahead of Rod Franklyn's Techwool Trading with 170,705 bales.

Although, if the fact Techwool often buys West Australian wool through a third party was taken into account, the honours would be just about even.

Viterra has quickly established itself as a major player, not only as an indent buyer but also buying "into stock" for subsequent sales.

Last year, Viterra bought the exporting and merchant business of ABB Wool, which was established by former Elders executive, Stephen Read, and included several BWK Elders staff and Chinese clientele.

The top four auction room buyers, which also included Queensland Cotton and Fox & Lillie, were all companies prepared to take a market position or "buy into stock".

AWEX reported a total clearance of 1,939,272 Australian bales, which is 3.5 per cent or 70,800 bales down on the previous year.

Based on AWTA testing of 2,061,467 bales for the year, the auctions accounted for 94 per cent of the clip, compared to the previous year's 92.5 per cent.

But as brokers will point out, these rates can be highly variable depending on whether wool was being sold from storage.

On a regional breakdown, a greater proportion of the clip was being sold in the southern region where clearances of 833,326 bales accounted for 48.1 per cent of the national throughput.

This was up from the previous year's rate of 45.1 per cent.

The swing to sales in Melbourne adds credence to the view that the centralisation of sales should evolve rather than be pushed.

Last year, opposition from brokers and small exporters thwarted a proposal to centralise sales. In other details from the AWEX list:

  • Fox & Lillie was the largest buyer of crossbred wool.
  • Modiano was in the top 10 buyers, but 77 per cent of its bales were Merino skirting, crossbred and oddments. Modiano is a major buyer of South African Merino fleece wools.
  • Crossbred wools accounted for 13 per cent of the auction throughput.
  • The New Zealand Merino Company sold 18,052 bales in Melbourne sales or 800 bales more than the previous year.