Help secure Olympic place for wool

Members of the public at this year’s Meirionnydd County Show were urged to help get British sheep wool to the London 2012 Olympic Games, through signing a public petition to revive the fortunes and popularity of British wool.

NFU Cymru launched a public petition on its stand at the Show highlighting the green credentials of wool and calling on the Olympic organisers to make sure the Games provide a showcase for what was once Britain’s largest export.

The approach struck a real chord with Welsh sheep producers, who have seen wool prices at rock bottom for many years. Sheep farmer and Meirionnydd NFU Cymru County Chairman, Eifion Davies said, “Wool has been in the doldrums for far too long, with the result that farmgate prices have not even covered the cost of shearing.”

“We have seen a serious decline in the size of the national wool clip in the UK – down from more than 50 million kilos a decade ago to less than 30 million now – and while that is driving a long-overdue increase in prices, this is a trend we must turn around if we are to achieve a sustainable sheep sector for the future.

“In January this year we saw the launch of a five-year initiative, launched by Prince Charles, that brings together not just British wool producers but those from all the main wool producing nations to work with manufacturers and retailers such as Marks and Spencer to make wool fashionable again.

“The drive to get wool into the Olympics is an important part of this bigger Campaign for Wool, but is especially appealing to sheep farmers because it seeks to highlight the contribution made by farmers and the ‘tapestry’ of sheep breeds they keep.

“Meirionnydd is a major sheep producing county and anything that helps secure the livelihood of our sheep farmers is welcomed. Wool has a great story to tell – not least its green credentials, its unique natural properties and its versatility and I’m sure the public will be right behind us in our drive to make the Olympics a showcase for that. To add your name to the petition simply log on to http://www.countrysideonline.co.uk. ” 

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