SHOULD GROWERS SELL TOPS

Should growers process their own wool to value-add? This is a question I am not in a position to answer. Every grower contemplating such act ivity must consider all the information available, be it technical or financial. Each grower's aims and circumstances are different. I have little doubt that some growers will develop niche markets for particul ar tops but I have heard some real horror stories as well. If growers wish to gain knowledge of the processing performance of their wool and thus are better able to understand and respond to the market signals, perhaps the cheaper and safer option is to (i) staple measure all the ir wool and (ii) undertake processing predictions on their clip, to de termine the contribution that wool is likely to have on a commercial c onsignment.