AFTER a volatile week of trade in wool markets, the benchmark indicator remained almost unchanged from a fortnight ago.
The Eastern Market Indicator climbed 17c/kg during last Wednesday's Melbourne wool sales, only to lose 16c/kg last Thursday and close the week at 1193c/kg.
Gains of 17c/kg were made on 18-micron wool. But all those gains were eroded in Thursday's market.
Of the 21,802 bales offered in Melbourne last week, 19,258 sold with 11.7 per cent passed in.
One producer to take advantage of the gains made last Wednesday was Tom James, from Coliban Estate, at Redesdale in central Victoria, who offered his entire wool clip at the Landmark auction.
Mr James offered 160 bales of fine wool, with 132 bales sold.
The top line was seven bales of 18-micron wool, which yielded 77 per cent, 44N, which fetched 1175c/kg. The remaining lines averaged just over 1000c/kg.
The passed-in bales were 16-17-micron wool, and they were likely to be sold in the New Year.
Landmark's Athol Frederick said more than half of the Coliban Estate wool sold to fine wool processor New England Wool, "which was a feature of the sale, and testament to its high quality".
He said the wool market had reflected the world economy recently.
"Wool is totally unpredictable at the moment. A distinct shine has come off the fine end of the clip," Mr Frederick said.
The clip came from 3500 ewes from the James' fine wool self-replacing Merino flock with an average of 18-micron, based on the Beverley Merino bloodlines.
"The Beverley bloodlines are what we base the whole flock on," Mr James said.
"It's the Merryville type, bright, high-yielding wool on a reasonably good-framed fine-wool Merino."
