Russian mills return to source Australian wool

For the first time in two decades representatives from Russian wool mills, including scourers, weavers and fibre experts, have travelled at their own expense to several Australian woolgrowing properties in NSW and Victoria, before meeting wool exporters and brokers in Melbourne.

The return of Russian interest is said to be significant given the potential that Russia has for processing and consuming wool.

In 2011, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) chairman Wal Merriman and general manager product development and commercialisation Jimmy Jackson travelled to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and met with current and former wool mills and textile experts.

From this initial trip, more than 1m kg of greasy Australian wool was traded last year – after none the year before. Relationships with three topmakers and dozens of Russian manufacturers, designers, retailers and brands have now been established.

For the full story, see the January 2014 edition of Textiles Eastern Europe. Not a subscriber? Subscribe HERE