South African Wool Market Faces Continued Pressure as Fine Merino Wool Shows Resilience
Farmers Magazine | 06.11.2026 12:10
The South African wool market continued to experience downward price pressure, reflecting cautious buyer sentiment and changing conditions in the international wool trade. Despite the overall decline, quality remained an important factor in determining market performance, with longer, certified fine micron Merino wool attracting stronger interest than some other categories. According to Cape Wools, more than half of the 6 110 bales offered at the latest auction consisted of longer, certified fine micron Merino lots, which performed relatively well under the prevailing market conditions. The sale achieved an overall clearance rate of 91,4%, following the withdrawal of 1 015 bales before the auction. These results highlight the continued importance of wool quality, fibre characteristics and international demand in determining prices received by South African wool producers.
