FOLLOWING the three-week annual recess the wool market has had a bumpy few weeks.
The first week of open-cry auctions saw prices jump up to 13 cents a kilogram, but last week things weren't looking all that flash.
Prices across all centres were down with the biggest falls experienced in the south.
The Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) fell nine cents a kilogram and in the west falls of 4c/kg were recorded in the one day sale on Wednesday to finish the week at 1019c/kg.
The offering was relatively small with only 36,000 bales presented for sale, compared to 40,400 in the same week last year.
Volumes were down again this week with the offering dipping below 29,000 bales, 9000 bales fewer than this time last year.
Primaries wool representative Greg Tilbrook said the market had been a little bit flat in all centres but overall, growers were reasonably happy with current price levels.
"Greasy prices are actually up a little given that yields are up for many of the Wheatbelt sheep," Mr Tilbrook said.
"We have seen yields for sheep from that area performing two or three per cent better, due to the summer feed as they didn't get the dirt and sand in their wool that they normally would.
"So greasy prices are slightly better and I think most producers are reasonably happy with the market levels at the moment."
Mr Tilbrook said in the coming months he expected sound wools to get strong support due to a high instance of base break in the June and July period.
"What we saw in the sheds a few months ago was a lot of base break coming through," he said.
"So come October, there is going to be a lot of mid-break which means any sound wool coming through will be in solid demand."
While volumes were currently low, Mr Tilbrook was expecting more wool to come onto the market later into August.
"The testing figures have been up quite a bit, mainly from the Wheatbelt guys shearing early to quit sheep due to a lack of feed," he said.
"We are expecting those wools to come into the sales in a few weeks.
"They are talking about 40,000 bales in next week's sales and heading into September volumes are expected to increase."
"I have heard there are some reasonable orders for September which could be good but obviously the supply and demand equation will come into it, so we will just have to see what happens."
There was no sale in Fremantle this week.
