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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

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@chameleon54 wrote:

My ebay sales are down around 25% on long term average with international sales particularly quiet. Who knows, but maybe the Corona virus has scared the domestic consumers internationally.

 

Its certainly not worrying my farming business with lamb prices rising 10% in the last couple of weeks due to recent widespread rains and wool prices trending up as Chinese woolen mills shut down, causing a shortage of processed wool on the international markets.

 

I suspect the virus is playing havoc on consumer sentiment in the Northern hemesphire and causing all sorts of disruptions to international trade, both good and bad, depending on which side of the fence you are sitting on.. 

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Yes, wool prices are certainly up. I recently got just over $300 for 2 Merino fleeces (one being 14 micron, the other being around 17 micron, of which he is actually a crossbred, but despite being half Suffolk, has the wool of a Merino). Sadly, the F2 crossbreds didn't fair so well. I got $7.85 for the ewe and $12 for the wether. Their wool is carpet quality at best. I don't care. They are pets, so I don't care if they don't produce good wool. They were bred for the freezer, not their wool. No, they aren't going in the freezer!

 

Normally I have a very busy time in Feb, but even I'm stalled this month. Had 2 sales. I'm not worried. People have a lot going on. I don't rely on eBay for an income, so I'm not losing sleep. I feel for those whereby this is their only income. They would really be feeling it. I'm grateful that I have a regular job to pay the bills.

 

WOW $300 for two fleeces is amazing money. I work on an average of $75 per fleece on my commercial Merino sheep. Much higher micron though. Even at that money it is a pretty exciting time to be a grazier. I am keeping all of my Merino lambs and trying to increase numbers of wool cutting sheep. ( ready for a flock dispersal when I retire )