Despite the wool industry in full swing of spring shearing, supply to brokers stores is not flowing to the extent expected.
And according to industry experts influencing factors include sheep numbers still at a low as well as the recent drought impacting fleece weights.
But Nutrien Ag Solutions north-east wool manager, David Hart, believes it comes down to different grower situations, and how and when they sell their wool depends on their business make-up.
"There are a lot of variables and a lot of factors surrounding when to sell at the moment," Mr Hart said.
"Some people need the cash flow, so the decision is easy for them because they get it in and get it sold, accepting whatever the market is."
But he said other people have more options, and within that, there are a range of views.
"Some producers chose to store their wool on-farm and those are people that are usually taking a longer-term view, being prepared to sit on that wool for quite a while," he said.
"Those producers store the wool in the shed because even though most brokers have a free storage period, it's not open ended, so ultimately there will be storage costs."
Mr Hart said although it is always impossible to quantify, there is a consensus amongst most people that there is a much higher level of wool being held on farm than normal.
"As far as what percentage of production that is, it is still unknown, but it could be as high as 10 to 15 per cent," he said.
"Which doesn't seem particularly high, but when combined with the wool that is on store which is still being withheld from market by growers, it adds up to an amount of wool that is probably having a material effect on the market."
But Mr Hart said it's not a bad thing that that wool is being held back as demand is reduced by the Covid-19 pandemic around the world.
He believes it's helping those growers who are getting their wool on the market and selling it by keeping a lid on supply.
This week, there is an increase in the national offering, falling just short of 44,000 bales, which is expected to have a negative impact on the market.
"Buyers are talking 20c to 50c, clean, difference, but they all stress they really don't know," Mr Hart said.
"There is a lot of uncertainty after the rollercoaster ride the market has had in the last fortnight. There is confusion in the market at the moment as to where the market will land which makes both trading for exports and decisions for growers extremely difficult."
Despite drought affected wools gradually diminishing, there is still a fair amount held in brokers stores.
"Drought affected wool was still being shorn off sheep to the mid point of the year before the severest affects of the drought started to be less obvious in the wool, so there is still a lot of it around," Mr Hart said.
"It hits the market sporadically because if the growers that have that drought affected wool are still sitting on it they are probably the ones taking the longer-term view."
But he said it is selling better now than when a majority of the clips entering the market were drought affected as exporters now have the scope to blend with better wools.
"Ironically, some of the drought wools were extremely sound, so now it is helping some of the more recently shorn wool which is much better yield wise, but struggled with staple strength because of the break in the season in February," Mr Hart said.
"That break, as we move away from February, is progressing further and further up the tip.
"We have gone from that tender wool being predominately mid-break to now a tip break which makes it more marketable from a processing point of view as well."