Traceability for Australian wool gets a boost with gov’t grant

As part of the second round of its Traceability Grants Program, the federal government has awarded $180,000 to the Australian Wool Exchange to improve traceability in the Australian wool industry supply chain.

Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud said the grant would help streamline information in the wool supply chain.

“This funding will go towards a trial application of e-Bale, which is a way of uniquely identifying each wool bale through radio-frequency identification and QR codes,” Minister Littleproud said.

“The application will work in tandem with the WoolClip system, which will capture the identity of each wool bale as it moves from farm to store to mill. The aim is to focus on filling the information gaps in the supply chain,” he said.

He explained that when combined with the National Wool Declaration for mulesing status, and the SustainaWOOL Integrity Scheme, it will make it easier for buyers and consumers to know they are buying a quality, sustainable product.

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“This will also enhance Australia’s reputation as a responsive and responsible supplier of wool to the international market,” Minister Littleproud said.

Australian Wool Exchange Chief Executive Officer Mark Grave said the grant was an opportunity to improve on-farm data capture.

“If this trial is successful, we should see better information flow from farm to mill, and hopefully less logistical errors in the system as we move towards more automation,” Grave said.

“This will also improve supply chain traceability and enable the rapid identification of wool bales, which can have a number of uses, including during a disease outbreak,” he said.

He continued that they’re very grateful that the grant will give the opportunity to make life easier for woolgrowers and consumers alike.

The project is one of 14 to receive funding under Round 2 of the Australian Government’s Traceability Grants Program.

Source: Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management media release