WOOLGROWERS are selling more bales in smaller lots despite the extra cost, to the annoyance of the auction room buyers.
According to AWEX in 2010-11 26.9 per cent of sale lots were only one or two bales.
Northern sellers in Sydney and Newcastle had the highest rate of small lots at 38.9 per cent.
Melbourne's one-to-two bale lot rate was 20 per cent, while in Western Australia it was 18.2 per cent. The trend to smaller lots was also to be reflected in AWTA test data.
In the six months to end of last month, although AWTA tested 9264 fewer bales, the number of tested lots was up by 2.3 per cent or nearly 5000 bales.
AWEX wool services manager David Cother, said the average lot size had fallen over the years, reflecting the change in the clip demographic.
In the latest edition of AWEX woolclassers' journal, BoardTalk, Mr Cother said smaller lots placed woolclassers in a difficult position.
Mr Cother said it was worth remembering small lots on a per-bale basis were more expensive to handle, test and display. There were also additional costs to the buyer in post-sale handling charges.
Mr Cother said lot sizes could be increased by not over-classing or fragmenting the lines. He also suggested that classers should provide comment to their selling agents as to whether lines could be matched.
"Many lines can go together, while they may not be identical, they may be similar," he said.
Mr Cother said growers or classers should not use light bale weights as a means of increasing lot size as buyers still prefer heavier bales to light bales.
Increased single bale lots triggered a protest in the Melbourne sales last April when exporters 'boycotted' single-bale lines of oddments and cast lines.
The move prompted a reaction from brokers to encourage their clients to consider interlotting single bale lines.
