IT WAS a positive week for well specified Merino fleece wool better than 17.5 microns in the auction last week.
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The Wooltrade sales reflected this with sales of premium fibre on the rise.
By last Thursday the AWEX micron price guide was up 32 cents a kilogram for 16.5-micron fleece for the week.
But, that masks a slight fall on Thursday of 13c/kg and a general decrease in buyer interest as the week wore on.
On Wooltrade there has been an upswing of fine and superfine wool during the past few weeks with some solid sales across the country.
Chinese New Year was on January 31 and this may have an effect on the market but it was only minor last week.
Our top price was a good style Australian superfine Merino lot offered by Australian Wool Network, NSW, and measured 15.4 microns, 74.4 per cent yield, 83 millimetres, 42 Newtons per kilotex of strength and sold for 1234c/kg (greasy).
In second and also offered by Australian Wool Network was a best style Merino weaner fleece lot measuring 16.3 microns, 0.3pc vegetable matter, 72.3pc yield, 79mm and 39Nkt.
This seven bale lot sold for 1140c/kg (greasy) or 1577c/kg.
The fine wool price increase lead nicely into a designated Sydney superfine wool sale this week.
This time last year, the wool market rallied a healthy 39c/kg to 1138c/kg (AWEX Eastern Market Indicator) only to drift 90c/kg lower in July, and in some weeks it fell below the 1000c/kg barrier.
But, this year is different with wool supply being slightly tighter and the economic outlook being slightly better.
Does anyone remember that Spain and Greece were given huge bailouts and the Euro zone was on the verge of collapse in 2013?
Hopefully history doesn't repeat itself and we see a different outcome for wool in 2014.
Tony Benson is the market operations manager for AuctionsPlus and Wooltrade.