NERVOUSNESS about how the wool market might open next month has encouraged some growers to sell early.
Briagalong superfine wool growers Peter and Alison Young usually sell in January, but Mr Young said he'd brought his offering forward, fearing global economic problems.
The Youngs are superfine woolgrowers, and last week their 48-bale clip sold to 1215c/kg greasy.
They were happy with the price, which was 75c/kg above valuations.
And while Mr Young said he would have sold at the valuation, he wouldn't have been happy with the price.
The top line in the Youngs clip tested 17 micron, was 88mm long, 42 newtons in strength, yielded 74 per cent and had just 0.6 vegetable matter.
"I was reasonably happy with the prices but there is not the price differential there should be between 19 micron and 17 micron wool," he said.
"There should be more of a premium with 17 micron wool, and you have to remember that while the market was up last week, we are still making 1000c/kg less than we were 20 years ago.
"And last week's wool prices were less than we were paid a year ago."
Mr Young said drops in a wool market of 100c/kg, from 1000c/kg to 900c/kg, did not sound like much, but quickly added up.
"If you have 10,000kg clip, then that's $10,000 you've lost and that can mean less fertiliser or no holiday," he said.
"The impact of such a price fall on a bigger clip of, say 40,000kg, would pay a worker's wages for a year."
The wool market finished on a bright note last week, up 2.2 per cent before a three-week recess.
The Eastern Market Indicator closed at 1189c/kg, 158c/kg higher than at the same time last year, while the season's average price of 1233c/kg is 302c/kg higher.
