Wool Industries Australia calls for united action to strengthen wool traceability through PIC adoption

WA woolgrowers, classers and brokers are being urged to ramp up their use of property identification codes as the national industry races to meet major new traceability rules due to kick in on January 1, 2026. Wool Industries Australia — representing the full wool supply chain — this week called for a final, co-ordinated push to lift PIC declaration rates from about 70 per cent of lots to at least 90 per cent. It issued a harrowing statement that failure to achieve an uplift to 90 per cent would increase “the likelihood of trade disruption across auction and private treaty markets, highlighting the importance of immediate action”. Under the incoming rules, the Australian Wool Testing Authority will not issue a test certificate for any grower lot or interlot that does not have a valid PIC attached. Put simply, no PIC will mean no test certificate — a change WIA says is essential to keep Australia’s wool market strong, credible and internationally competitive. The mandate is an industry-led initiative aligned with International Wool Textile Organisation regulations and implemented by AWTA. WIA chair David Michell said expanding the consistent use of PICs across the wool sector would dramatically improve traceability and bolster confidence in Australian fibre. “A PIC is already central to Australia’s livestock traceability system,” he said. “Extending its consistent use across the wool sector will significantly strengthen national preparedness for emergency animal disease responses and enhance confidence in the origin and traceability of Australian wool throughout domestic and global supply chains.” Mr Michell said the Australian wool industry’s goal was to achieve a PIC declaration on more than 90 per cent of Australian wool bales. Growers and agents have already started voluntarily declaring PICs on about 70 per cent of wool lots — a figure Mr Michell said demonstrated strong goodwill but fell short of what was needed to avoid potential market disruption. Growers are being reminded to provide their valid PIC to brokers — most easily done through the National Wool Declaration — while brokers and agents must ensure PICs are accurately captured and transmitted to AWTA. The authority also stressed PIC data was tightly protected: it is only released to government under the direction of the Chief Veterinary Officer, never made public, not printed on certificates, and not included in shared test data. More information about WIA is available at woolindustries.au.