MOHAIR wool sold for a top of $39.50 a kilogram at a recent quarterly sale in Narrandera.
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The sale was conducted by the Australian Mohair Marketing Organisation (AMMO) earlier this month.
According to AMMO, a total of 245 bales were sold, 96 of which sold to the Mohair Wool Traders from South Africa.
The top sale was for a line of 24.8-micron fine kid fibre.
The increase in the overall sale average price to $16.37/kg and a 100 per cent clearance was a positive outcome for mohair producers nationally and it was hoped it might help to entice new producers into the industry, AMMO said.
AMMO Narrandera warehouse manager James Stanley said anything more than $12/kg average was handy for the growers.
In 2000, the top price was $62.50/kg, but this was unsustainable as processors looked to cheaper options, he said.
Low world production with strong global demand has pushed mohair prices higher, according to the industry association.
Mr Stanley said he expected the auction to be strong but not rise to the extent it did.
"The lack of mohair in South Africa has been good for the Australian market, and has given our sales 100 per cent clearance the past couple of sales," he said.
"The South Africans have been big supporters of our markets for about 30 years."
Mr Stanley said knitting fibre made up most of Mohair produced in Australia at the moment.
The active bidding at the sale left him with the impression there was a lot of interest in mohair.
The next sales will be held in August and November at Narrandera.
