Jim & Jenny Treloar

Jim and Jenny Treloar use the web-based Woolcheque primarily for budgeting, wool pricing, price risk management and bench marking.  They also find it a valuable educational tool by tapping into the broader range of features the system has to offer.

Loyal to the wool industry, the Treloars run a self replacing wool growing Merino flock on their 44,000 hectare property, Wadnaminga, 140kms west of Broken Hill.

"We're essentially a wool growing operation based on Poll Merino with an Ashrose bloodline," Mr Treloar said.

While the average rainfall is 225mm, the Treloars have experienced extremely dry times over the past few years.

The Treloars aim to produce a 21.8 to 22.4 micron clip with a yield at about 63 to 64 per cent.

"Wool is still two thirds of our gross income with the surplus sheep sales making up the other third," Mr Treloar said.

"Young ewes are usually classed as hoggets and usually classed out at around 25 per cent.  They are about a third of the gross income and are a pretty key part of our business."

For the Treloars (who have been selling in the auction system), this is where Woolcheque comes in.

"For us, Woolcheque was a Godsend and long overdue," Mr Treloar said.

"Essentially the woolgrower is in control of price checking - it's independent, daily and historical prices are available and it's highly relevant and unbiased.

"Years ago we tried straight forward pricing - forward selling, and experienced problems with premiums whenever we had contracts."

He said Woolcheque had given them the ability to go through price charts and mock comparisons from previous sales to allow them to work out a pricing basis. 

"Even if we were to return to forward pricing, we would be able to get an independent price straight away on the latest daily and historical prices as a straight forward budgeting tool," Mr Treloar explained.

"We can project this year's clip performance and by using Woolcheque's database, information from our wool broker and previous test results we can apply the relevant pricing periods.

"The worksheet generated from Woolcheque's ‘price your wool and find auction lots' function, will actually show the price calculation with premiums and discounts - which is fantastic.

The Treloars said they found the database valuable and gave them new tools to work with their broker within operating the auction system, particularly as Woolcheque was independent and based on AWEX auction data.

He said being able to budget for the next year on previous year's results, growers were able to forward benchmark - and that was Woolcheque's core value.

"I think there will be a quick up-take for Woolcheque - it's often the first 10 to 15 per cent who go in with vengeance and slowly the rest come on board," he said.

"Once people look at it and see how relevant it is, Woolcheque will find its way on to their internet ‘favourites' list."

Return to case study index.