WITH a flock cutting 8kg fleeces, Woodside's Robert Wight reckons Merino wool is about as good as it gets.
Last week, Robert was in Melbourne for the sale of his December-shorn 210-bale clip in the Landmark catalogue.
At an average 21 micron, Robert was right in the money at last week's strong opening to the post-Christmas sales, which saw AWEX's Eastern Market Indicator rise 27c/kg to close at 1216c/kg clean.
The best of his weaner lines, at 19.3 micron with a yield of 78 per cent, sold for 1136c/kg greasy, while a 21.7-micron, 78 per cent yield sold for 1070c/kg.
Robert said prices were up a little on last year, vindicating his decision 16 years ago to switch from Corriedales to Charinga Merino.
"You can never go wrong with 21-micron (wool)," he said.
"You get that extra wool and, if the superfine prices lift, you get that kick in the middle-micron prices."
Like many Merino breeders coming off years of drought, particularly in East Gippsland, he has been retaining wethers while he builds his ewe numbers.
Despite a relatively large national offering of 49,498 bales, last week's market opened strongly. The southern 21-micron indicator closed up 10c/kg to 1328c/kg clean, while the 18-micron indicator was up 37c/kg to 1553c/kg clean.
Because of the lift in prices, the pass-in rate in Melbourne was down to 6.4 per cent.
Landmark's weekly report said the global economy meant mills were delaying raw wool purchases, preferring to operate hand-to-mouth rather than taking on stock until they knew retail results from Europe's winter season.
