MORE CROSSBRED WOOL

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23913, 3 April 1943, Page 3

MORE CROSSBRED WOOL

AUSTRALIAN WARTIME TREND Since the war, the proportion of crossbred wool grown in. Australia.has increased 6 per cent. During the last pre-war year, the quantity was 464.850 bales, or 16 per cent, of the clip; last season it was 796,446 bales, or 22 per cent. • Victoria is easily the largest producer of crossbreds, and New South Wales is second. In comparison with the size of its clip, however, Tasmania takes third place, 74 per cent, of the State’s wool being comebacks and crossbreds. Profitable results for breeding and fattening lambs, combined with good figures for crossbred wools, are the reasons for the change. War-time circumstances have stimulated the use of crossbreds. It might be well to remember that demand for them decreased sharply after the 1914-18 war. Production of crossbreds in Australia reflected that fact. In 1919-20, the Commonwealth’s clip was 33 per cent, crossbred and in 1925-26 18 per cent. In New South Wales, the proportion of crossbreds in 1919-20 was 31 per cent., in 1938-39 9 per cent., and last season 14 per cent. •