PREMIUMS for superfine wool have all but evaporated as middle-micron types continue to dominate the wool market.
Although AWEX's Eastern Market Indicator closed the week up 2c/kg to 1192c/kg clean, it masked some divergent price trends.
This was especially true of the Melbourne sales, which had 57 per cent of the national offerings. While the southern 21-micron indicator rose 30c/kg to 1321c/kg, the 18-micron indicator fell 18c/kg, to 1416c/kg.
Exporters attributed the shift to Chinese topmakers' determination to persist with lower cost volume wools.
That trend was no more evident in the sale of Kevin and Paul Matthews' clip from Leslie Manor. They had 160 bales in Landmark's Wednesday sale.
Their 18-micron weaners' line, with a yield of 71 per cent, sold for 1040c/kg greasy. One of their main adult lines, at 20.1-micron wool with a yield of 74.4, sold for 970c/kg greasy.
In clean wool terms, the price difference was only 161c/kg.
But despite the dip, Kevin said they were more than happy with this year's overall returns from their October-shorn Nareeb Nareeb bloodline wool.
Another satisfied vendor with middle-micron wool at last week's sale was Lindsay Filbey, of Goornong.
He got 1064c/kg greasy for a line of 20.6-micron, with an exceptionally high yield of 80.5 per cent, in the Fox & Lillie Rural sale.
Mr Filbey said the price was especially satisfying because it was off Willandra ewes, which had also produced first-cross ewe lambs that sold for $228 at Bendigo three weeks ago.
"It's a good time to be in sheep," he said.
