The future of SA wool: refined infrastructure and wool traceability

As the agriculture sector starts to adapt to the fast-paced development of technology, producers and processors need to decide what to implement and what to avoid. Henning Naudé spoke to Izak Klopper, manager of shearer training at the National Wool Growers' Association, about how shearing has changed, and what the industry can expect from new research and development from international markets.

- Henning Naudé

With 30 years of experience in training shearers in varying environments, Izak Klopper, manager of shearer training at the National Wool Growers' Association (NWGA), says that shearing sheds have remained productive due to the expertise shearers gain from organisations such as the NWGA, and the close relationship these organisations have with farmers. The skill level amongst well-trained shearers in South Africa is high, and many compete in international competitions. Blade shearers have done particularly well, winning multiple titles.

Klopper says: “The South African wool industry is heavily reliant on skilled shearers, and that has remained largely unchanged.”

Aside from skilled shearing, Klopper also explains that shearing shed designs have changed significantly to accommodate both physical strain and efficiency between shearers and handlers.

In the past, many shed designs moved towards raised shearing boards to increase output by allowing staff to collect wool without getting in the way of the shearer or having to bend down.

Raised boards were implemented in both straight and half-moon layouts. However, Klopper says that raised boards have recently been subject to change due to the risk they pose for the wool handlers. (Because the sheep are at torso level with the staff collecting the fleece, there is a higher chance of injury if the sheep makes sudden movements.) Flat boards are now being reconsidered in shed design.

Another significant improvement made to prevent idle time is the pen structure. Instead of having a flock enter and exit into the same pen, causing a bottleneck between shorn and woolly sheep, the holding pens are separate from the count-out pens, creating a full cycle. The entire shed is raised, and a count-out pen is built below it. Once a sheep is shorn, it is placed into a chute that feeds into the count-out pen, thus preventing the need for staff to herd sheep in and out.