A new Primary Growth Partnership programme, focusing on strong wool, is hoped to contribute about $335million towards New Zealand's economy by 2025.
Wool Unleashed is a Ministry for Primary Industries/The New Zealand Merino Company seven-year $22.1million programme.
The wool industry was once one of New Zealand's highest earners, and strong wool made up most of that, but it had been in decline since the 1990s, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said.
The new programme aimed to reverse that trend by delivering higher premiums for the sector, through connecting strong wool farmers with markets, increasing on-shore processing, developing new and niche products and sharing best practice information across the wool industry, he said.
In a statement, NZM chief executive John Brakenridge said the programme would apply NZM's experience with fine and mid-micron wool in establishing contracts with premium brand partners and developing new uses and markets to strong wool.
It would be delivered through four work streams; Social Licence to Operate was about improving on-farm practices to respond to high-end consumer preferences, such as traceability, low chemical use and quality standards.
Crossing the Chasm - Commodity to Branded Experience was about connecting producers with markets.
Blue Ocean - Market Driven New Uses and Users for Strong Wool was about developing new wool products for niche markets through collaborations.
Primary Sector Extension involved primary sector collaboration to deliver cross-sector shared knowledge and practices.
‘‘In 10 years' time, we want 40% of the strong wool bales transacted to be at sustainable prices with substantial premiums over long-term historic prices ... ambitious but we believe ... achievable,'' Mr Brakenridge said.
Last year, the Wool Industry Research Ltd partnership, New Uses for Wool, co-funded by the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand and involving New Zealand Wool Services International, AgResearch, Lincoln Agritech and Otago and Massey Universities, secured $8.4million of Government investment over seven years.
