Purelana 'showing promise'

Wool Services International says its Purelana-branded wool strategy is gaining momentum and is a reason for confidence as the company emerges from recession.

"Our overseas clients increasingly recognise Purelana wool for its consistency, reliability and superior quality," WSI managing director Michael Dwyer said yesterday.

Purelana's brand strategy was based on exclusive supply contracts with woolgrowers, linking farmers directly to the world market, and removing uncertainty associated with the traditional auction system.

Dwyer has previously said he wanted to attract as much crossbred wool to the Purelana scheme as he could, with the promise of up to $30 a bale more compared with other selling methods, though the size of premium was based on an independent analysis.

WSI normally exports between 30,000 and 40,000 tonnes of mainly crossbred wool, between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of the nation's annual crossbred production.

- NZPA