AWI’s multi-pronged approach to wool harvesting
There are many elements to AWI’s approach to make wool harvesting easier and more cost-effective for woolgrowers and the Australian wool industry
Shearer and wool handler training
AWI funds and supports hands-on, practical, in-shed training for shearers and wool handlers to attract and retain new workers, as well as increase workers’ productivity, skills and professionalism. As well as novice workshops and improver workshops, AWI also funds education programs for high school students. See this article.
Wool harvesting ambassadors program
15 young shearers and wool handlers promote the industry at workshops, shearing competitions and in the media. These young professionals are positive role models for the industry, thereby helping to attract a quality workforce, raise wool harvesting standards and improve the culture in shearing sheds.
Support for wool harvesting competitions
AWI provides support to local shearing competitions affiliated with Sports Shear Australia. The aim is to promote excellence in the wool harvesting industry, encourage young people to join the industry, and encourage continued development of techniques in shearing and wool handling.
AWI shearing shed design
AWI and a working group of woolgrowers and shed staff in 2019 designed a shearing shed which addresses worker safety and animal welfare considerations, while also achieving improved shed efficiency and good wool quality outcomes. The AWI design is freely available and dozens of sheds have now been built across the country using it. See www.wool.com/sheddesign
SafeSheds shearing shed safety program
SafeSheds is a best practice self-assessment guide and checklists to help woolgrowers improve the safety and working conditions in their shearing sheds. It is available as an 80-page booklet, while the checklists are also available in a digital, interactive format. See www.wool.com/safe-sheds
Modular sheep delivery units
The AWI sheep delivery units provide a system that delivers sheep directly to the shearer, eliminating the time and energy that shearers spend on the catch and drag and minimising the chance of injury to the shearer. There are six companies across Australia manufacturing systems based on the AWI sheep delivery system designs. See www.wool.com/sheep-delivery
Biological wool harvesting
The University of Adelaide has made strong progress in identifying the most effective biological agent to create a weakened zone at the base of the wool fibre that enables the fleece to remain securely on the sheep without a net until it can be mechanically removed. Researchers are now analysing 12 promising candidate agents to determine which, if any, are most suitable for this role. This critical evaluation phase will continue for several months, before consideration of a new two to three year phase of the project.
As a result, promising work by the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Wollongong on designing a device to harvest the weakened wool has been halted for now, while the focus remains firmly on confirming the agent.
This article appeared in the Winter 2025 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in June 2025. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
