Ultrafine wool shines bright during the 2024-25 season including a 11.4 micron Serena Park bale in WA

Australian ultrafine woolgrowers are enjoying increased values and demand as supply lifts with drier conditions throughout the fine wool growing regions. The finest of Merino micron wool has historically found its way directly to European buyers for luxury garments production through specialist brokers. Mecardo analyst Andrew Woods said it had been difficult to ascertain utltrafine wool prices with past exchanges of ownership avoiding the auction system. He said test results from the Australian Wool Testing Authority showed there was a small amount of 12 to 14 micron wool sold through auction during the 2024-25 season. “Some has made an impressive $119/kg clean,” Mr Woods said. From the AWTA records, Mr Woods said 333 bales of 12 micron wool was sold during the past season, a record volume, mostly due to “seasonal conditions” (dry climate reduces micron). “Other ultrafine wool offered for sale included 485 bales of 13 micron and 3463 bales of 14 micron,” Mr Woods said. “Price transparency on fine wools is difficult with very minimal 12 micron lines sold through auction in more than a decade, while less than half of the volumes of 13 micron produced in Australia was sold at auction. “But increased production, including a 30 single-bale line of Avon Valley-based Serna Park fleece (11.4 to 14.3 micron) produced in WA and sold in December through Dyson Jones late last year, has lifted auction volumes.” While the Serena Park bale of 11.4 micron, sold for 3000¢/kg greasy (4982¢ clean) it was the finest ever recorded in the Fremantle sale and the equal second-finest nationally with an Eastern States 11.1 micron bale recorded as the finest ever produced in 2012. A one-bale offering of a 12.5 micron Serena Park wool sold in the December sale to a top of 5000¢/kg greasy, to achieve the highest price ever recorded in WA across all microns. The WA ultrafine wool was produced by Mandalup Pastoral Company principal Peter Huston, who runs between 1000 and 1200 superfine wool breeders at his Serena Park property. Mr Huston, who is a Perth Lawyer, bought the Avon Valley property in 2007 as an investment into the boutique fine wool business. “I have enjoyed the challenge of ultrafine woolgrowing, derived from visiting my grandparents’ Kojonup farm,” he said. “I find myself constantly looking for genetic improvement and while I sell the Serena Park clip through auction, its my intention to sell directly to the high-end market in Europe with options now opening up in China.”