While it is always hard to gauge early in the season, Kevin Dooley from Dooley Wool ltd, Co Offaly, says the outlook for the wool trade at the start of the season looks positive.

He says the trade has remained relatively smooth over the last 12 months and expects prices to start the season as it finished, at about €1.30/kg for fine-bred or lowland white dry wool.

Kevin explains that the normal dynamics of supply and demand have been at play in recent months with a slight rise in price in February and March and tighter supplies in the market.

Prices have stabilised, with about 95% of last season’s wool passed through the system. On a different note, Kevin said wool supplies were boosted since the start of the year with the company handling about 15t more than normal due to more farmers carrying over store lambs and shearing them.