RUSSIA RE EQUIPPING WOOL INDUSTRY

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33792, 14 March 1975, Page 8

RUSSIA RE EQUIPPING WOOL INDUSTRY

Soviet authorities have begun the enormous task of modernising their wool textile industry—by far the world’s largest. Imports of machinery in 1973 are reported at sl2Bm compared with sßom the previous year.

In 1973, when almost every country cut its woolbuying tn New Zealand, the Soviet Union bought .more—--152.500 bales compared with 126.000 the previous season. Only Britain took more. In the accompanying article, David Grace, director of information for the Wool Board, looks at the Soviet industry and the wag that woolgrowers are assisting it.

The Russian programme means much to the world’s woolgrowers, according to Mr Oscar Ransart, of the International Wool Secretariat. It is part of the policy of raising living standards and has the backing of top Soviet leaders, he says. The Russians are committed to wool by the hard climate, by tradition and their own important woolgrowing industry. Mr Ransart directs an I.W.S. group which is assisting the modernisation programme. The mills are mostly in the Russian Republic scattered over a wide area between the Polish

border and the Urals. They are frequently large; it is common for a mill to have 5000 to 10,000 workers. Production has been increasing rapidly. Output of woollen and worsted fabrics rose 35 per cent between 1966 and 1972. Imports rose 72 per cent. Production is more than 680 m square metres —three times the volume of British mills and at least 100 m square metres more than Japan. As a pilot operation, the Ministry' of Light Industry has chosen two large Moscow mills for development: the Kalinin mill engaged in topmaking and spinning, and the Kuntsevo mill where cloth is woven and finished. Both are exclusively pure wool mills —something hardly found now in. the western world. Since 1966 the Ministry has been in touch with the I.W.S. As co-operation has developed, the secretariat has played a growing part in the programme. At the end of 1970 the Ministry told the I.W.S. of its plans for the Kalinin and Kuntsevo mills and invited the secretariat to make recommendations. Mr Ransart, a Russianspeaking Belgian, has a staff of 15 serving the textile industries of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. He has warm praise for the way the Russians have handled the programme. “They are not lacking in skilled technicians themselves,” he said, “but after discussion they gave us a brief and all the information we required. “We were free to make any recommendations on staff or the type of

material produced. Cost was no consideration. The only limitations were buildings and site. The space was fairly limited because the mills were in built-up areas.” For this task Mr Ransart gathered a team of three I.W.S. mill experts and three outside consultants. The team went to Moscow and the talks and inspections began. “We were given access to everything,” said Mr Ransart. “The brief was very simple: make the mills as efficient as the best you have in the West. “Every question we asked was answered: on technical

matters, on labour conditions, rewards and. incentives. . . .” The team returned to 1 their base in Brussels and compiled a thick volume of | recommendations. Machinery took priority and here the I.W.S. normally offered several alternatives so that the Russians could buy—if they chose —to suit bilateral trade agreements. “At the same time, we wanted to show them that the plans proposed were feasible,” said Mr Ransart So five leading men from the Soviet industry were invited bv the I.W.S. to Italy to see some of the most modern mills. Then followed a dialogue lasting two weeks. “They made some pertinent suggestions.” said Mr Ransart. “They have people who are on a level with the best in the West and they have their own research in a number of fields.” The recommendations were finally approved in late 1972 and the machinery started to roll into the Kalinin and Kuntsevo mills in 1973. Meantime I.W.S. interest has continued as new machines come on to the market. One is the new selftwist spinner developed by C.5.1.R.0. in Australia. It offers high output with a great saving in floor space. Another is in pad batch dyeing — an advanced process giving bright shades and large economies in operation. The I.W.S. is giving the Kuntsevo mill a pad mangle for the first production runs. The programme has hit a snag at the Kalinin mill with the disposal of dyehouse effluents. The Moscow city authorities ruled that treatment should be improved. The problem is that the crowded site leaves no room for large settling tanks. “There are all sorts of engineering problems in this,” said Mr Ransart. “We are looking at Swedish and British processes, and can get consultants if we need.” All this service to the Russian industry is financed by the woolgrowers of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay, but the

re-equipment of Soviet mills will lead to far greater consumption of world wool resources. The Soviet economy has been directed in the past towards heavy industry, but now light industries are receiving attention. As part of the drive, the 140 m Soviet flock is being increased, although a large part of woo) requirements will always be imported Sheep must be kept in sheds in the winter and there is pressure on land use, thus limiting the rate of expansion. In 1973, in spite of the very high level of prices prevailing on world raw wool markets. Soviet wool imports rose by 15 per cent to 96,000 tonnes on a clean basis. "To say wool is popular in Russia' is an understatement,” said Mr Ransart. “For the long winter people must have warm wool clothing. “Soviet leaders want to give consumers more and better goods and they are aware that quality ’ goes with wool. “Most of it is made on the woollen system, with coats of heavier cloth than we would need in the West. But there is a tendency towards worsteds because more people are living in the towns where conditions are less rigorous. And of course worsteds look smarter.” Mr Ransart also has fashion advisers on his staff working with the industries in Eastern Europe.