Demand for broader micron Merino fleece wools hung on until the close of Western Wool Centre (WWC) trading last week and the start of the annual three-week mid-year live auctions recess.
However finer micron fleece wools were unable to sustain good price rises for a fourth consecutive WWC trading day since the start of a new wool season and new Australian Wool Selling Program, with demand and prices softening on the last trading day before the recess.
Best results were recorded by 21 micron Merino fleece, which added 16 cents on the last day before the recess to finish up 41c for the week at 1362c per kilogram clean, according to Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX).
But other micron segments gave up between 6c (20 micron) and 15c (18.5 micron) of the previous day's solid gains.
This limited their price improvement for the week to between 18c (19 and 20 micron, finishing at 1499c/kg and 1400c/kg respectively) and 7c (18 micron, finishing at 1607c/kg).
After easing 2c on the last day, the Western Market Indicator finished up 19c for the week at 1339c/kg and 68c ahead of where it had started the 2022-23 wool season a fortnight ago.
While the first two weeks of the new season were in positive contrast to the dismal start of the previous season at the WWC and will give brokers something to smile about during the auctions break, the good demand and prices was predicated on small auction offerings.
Traditionally pre-COVID, the first two weeks of a new season and new selling program were generally marked by larger than usual offerings and good prices at the WWC, as woolgrowers released better clips held over until a new financial year and then sold to settle accounts for crop inputs already used and to finance preparations for shearing and harvest later in the season.
However this season's opening fortnight at the WWC saw the smallest volume, both in bales and weight of wool, offered since the COVID-decimated 2020 season, AWEX statistics showed.
A total of 14,142 bales were offered over the four trading days, 6570 fewer or 31.7pc less than in the season-opening fortnight last year.
This equated to a drop from 2.3 million kilograms last year to 1.6mkg this year - a 32.3pc decrease, according to AWEX.
While bales and weights were also down at Melbourne and Sydney selling centres, national volumes down 23.3pc (bales) and 23.1pc (weight) show reductions there were not as great.
The WWC will recommence live wool auctions in the second week of August.
