IT MIGHT be the year of the dragon for Australia's major customer, but for wool producers, 2012 is the year of the WoolPoll.
This year's triennial WoolPoll ballot, to determine a levy rate to apply from July 2013, will be the industry's fourth.
The last three have delivered a majority vote in favour of 2 per cent on gross proceeds to fund Australian Wool Innovation.
The 2009 vote also approved an expenditure split of 30 per cent for on-farm research, 20 per cent for off-farm research and 50 per cent for marketing.
If the wool indicator continues to hover around 1200c/kg clean, there is every chance of a re-endorsement for 2 per cent. Although the expenditure splits could change if the pro-marketing lobby gets its way.
In the meantime, the pressure will be on AWI to deliver a report card on the success or otherwise of its expenditure of levy funding which in 2010-11 raised $47 million.
Most of the publicity from AWI and its marketing people paints a glowing picture of positive results. Most growers like what they are seeing and hearing about the three global programs: No Finer Feeling, Gold Woolmark and the Campaign for Wool.
But are these campaigns, which AWI chief executive Stuart McCullough labels as "cost-effective results-driven marketing", really translating into higher demand and better wool prices?
That's the question that AWI will have to answer before the WoolPoll ballot in October.
Producers of superfine wool might also be wondering about effectiveness of the AWI campaigns.
Even though these producers of 18.5-micron wool and finer are fetching $2000 a bale and are paying a levy of $40-plus per bale, their prices are only just covering costs.
Test pick-up
WOOL receivals, as determined by AWTA test data, recorded a slight lift last month after falls in the November and December data.
AWTA tests last month were up 3.7 per cent or 5000 bales on January last year.
But despite the lift, receivals for the season were still 3500 bales down or fractionally behind the corresponding period for 2010-11.
Customer call
AUCTIONS next week move to a Tuesday-Wednesday schedule as part of a four-week trial to appease Chinese interests.
For the past year or two, Chinese importers have been lobbying for auctions to be held earlier in the week so as to allow them to complete arrangements before the weekend.
