Couple win wool award

Canterbury farmers Dean and Stephanie Wason have beaten 200 entries to be the top growers for the premium wool brand Glacial, launched last year for the carpet market.

The wool is produced using a new scouring process that makes it whiter and cleaner, allowing manufacturers to produce more vibrant colours in finished carpets, although most of the wool is used in artworks such as wall hangings.

The Wasons' winning entry was fleece from their stud romney farm on 200ha of flat land at Sheffield.

The 37-micron wool was shorn from romney two-tooths last May.

The Wasons said selective breeding at the stud produced the clean wool and colour the judges sought.

Glacial was developed by Wool Research Organisation of NZ, which has devolved most of its operations to new subsidiary Canesis Network, 66 per cent owned by WRONZ and 33 per cent owned by Wool Equities.

The Canesis unit Wool Interiors manages the group's wool brands, including Glacial.

- NZPA