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 AWI launches broadside at AWGA's mulesing tactics 

AWI launches broadside at AWGA's mulesing tactics

25 Jun, 2008 02:42 PM
Australian Wool Innovation today launched a blistering tirade at the Australian Woolgrowers Association, alleging the wool lobby group was seeking to "continually divide the industry".

AWI chairman, Brian van Rooyen, says it is "incredibly disappointing that this small group sends out flawed information to the media and in doing so gives more ammunition to the animal rights activists in their campaign to turn retailers around the world against the Australian wool industry".

"AWI makes every effort to enable AWGA to participate in important, inclusive and constructive industry endeavours - for instance AWGA was invited to and participated in the industry's strategic planning forum in May," Mr van Rooyen says.

"AWGA has been instrumental in seeking a reneging of the wool industry's commitment to phase out mulesing by 2010. This is what kick started the renewed wave of activist approaches to our international retailers.

"Now AWGA seeks to undermine clips as being a viable (surgical mulesing) alternative, instead seeking to force woolgrowers to use commercial pain relief.

"For the record, AWI has actively supported the use of pain relief by growers and the least it asks of AWGA is to support AWI, the woolgrowers' not-for-profit research company in finding alternatives.

"I have four, quite easy, questions for AWGA:

"1. Where does AWGA's interest lie in promoting a commercial pain-relief product over every other alternative to mulesing that is being developed to help woolgrowers?

"2. What does AWGA hope to gain from undermining the clips?

"3. Why is AWGA attempting to leave woolgrowers without options to meet the wool industry commitment to phase out mulesing by the end of 2010?

"4. Why is it that AWGA's objective does not meet the longer term needs of the industry's customers, the international retailers?

"AWI categorically rejects AWGA's rhetorical musings that `a change of mulesing definition' is linked to clip research and development. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"I understand that the National Wool Declaration is evolving to meet the needs of the wool industry.

"In reality, this is just another example of AWGA's campaign against AWI and its efforts to meet wool industry customer expectations on behalf of the Australian wool industry."

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comments


Date: Newest first | Oldest first
Perhaps if AWI could come up with some concrete answers rather than all the rhetoric that was heard at their recent forums, there would not be an opportunity for any associations to alledgedly mislead farmers. After attending the recent AWI forums i am still none the wiser about how markets are going to react after 2010 and i am certainly unwilling to try to manage unmulesed sheep!
Posted by walta, 25/06/2008 9:12:34 PM
The petty "political" tactics of this industry is ridiculous!! Can we please please get on with the business of growing the best wool in the world. All the so called "representative" groups of the industry put your egos aside and start working TOGETHER for the benefit of the industry.
Posted by Disillusioned, 26/06/2008 9:01:57 AM
AWI was established to remove it from the politial process. A public attack on a legitimate industry voice because it experssed a contrary view to AWI is improper and unreasonable. In serving it up to the AWGA, has now placed itself in a positon of having to come out and criticise every other agricultural body, every time it expresses an opinion that annoys the AWI chair! - Otherwise we will have to asume its public attack on the AWGA has a political motive.
Posted by sideliner, 26/06/2008 9:03:57 AM
The wool industry continues to be totally fragmented and unless someone or something happens to pull it together, it will delegate itself to become a cottage industry.
Posted by jerangle, 26/06/2008 12:48:12 PM
Since its inception AWI has proven to be the antithesis of what it is supposed to do - i.e. provide innovative technology for the advancement of the wool industry. Its delivery is questionable at best and is an expensive, over-rated option. AWI management seem more intent on playing political games than ensure the status quo of the 'old guard' supply chain rather than empowering the woolgrower - AWI's funder - with the means of optimising cost benefits.

If allowed, AWI would still cart wool to the wharves in bullock drays. They should never have been the body to become embroiled with PETA - a costly, stupid and abortive exercise. AWI's approach is historically confrontational and they have no sense of cost control particularly with legals.

Posted by Angry, 26/06/2008 3:47:37 PM
The clips are history............ pre-operative pain relief is the only soloution for the mules and the tail removal. PETA will have the tails in their crazy eye sights as soon as 2011 apears.
Posted by huego, 26/06/2008 10:07:16 PM
The mulesing issue is potentially one of the most positive events for the wool industry. It sounds strange doesn't it, but perhaps this messy issue will create change desperately needed for a near dying industry by doing two things over the next 5 to 10 years. Hopefully we can create supply chains that are not commodity driven, as is the case now, but segmented branded chains that are consumer focused. Clearly our current reaction to the mulesing issue shows that as growers we do not understand where the value is created, the consumer. We continue to sh0ot ourselves in the foot with all the carry on. The other thing that this issue may help do is eradicate producers who cannot adapt to change. It is these producers who don't understand the consumer, who believe the world needs our wool, it doesn't. It is these growers who expect AWI just to give them an answer, rather than actively managing the problem themselves. How different would our industry be if there were only 1000 wool growers all singing from the same page. We can try to blame everybody else but perhaps the real problem is us the growers, and groups like AWGA don't help.
Posted by Optimist, 26/06/2008 10:10:40 PM
AWI has already murdered CSIRO wool research in the hunt for more cash to line their fat cat pockets with - they'll murder the whole industry with this rubbish political one upmanship before this is over - stop the levy -woolgrowers need the money more than Sydney businessmen
Posted by Gobsmacked, 27/06/2008 11:58:59 AM

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