WOOL Industries Australia has officially launched the Australian Wool Traceability Hub to enhance traceability across the the nation’s wool supply chain.

WIA said the hub underscores the industry’s commitment to ensuring that Australian wool continues to set the global standard for quality by matching the world’s best wool with trusted data.

The hub aims to assist industry and government manage potential biosecurity threats in a quicker and more efficient manner. A vital part of managing any Emergency Animal Disease outbreak is being able to track and locate wool, ranging from the farm to the wool store, wool dump or shipping containers and all the way to processing locations.

The Hub will aim to provide that data to statutory authorities and industry who can then make informed decisions to manage an EAD response. It is anticipated that more than 90 percent of bales will be able to be traced using the Hub by July 2025.

WoolProducers Australia chief ewxecutive officer Jo Hall said effective disease control relies on rapid traceability.

“The hub will improve disease containment and response by enabling more streamlined tracing of wool,” she said.

“The quicker we can respond and eradicate a major disease, the quicker we can return to trade.”

National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia president Rowan Woods said the wool grower’s Property Identification Code (PIC) will be an essential requirement of the hub.

“The PIC is the starting point for the whole traceability pathway: where was this wool produced?,” he said.

“The wool industry is competing for market share, and to be a viable competitor in that market, we must confidently be able to start the whole process by proudly declaring where the wool came from.

“The PIC does that,” Mr Woods said.

AWI chief executive officer John Roberts said the hub is reinforcing the industry’s dedication to transparency and responsible practices.

“The hub will serve as a testament to our collective efforts to maintain the integrity and trust that Australian wool is known for worldwide.”

WIA said the hub will provide a digital platform to track the journey of wool from farm to processor, ensuring a chain of custody and provenance.

Australian Wool Exchange CEO Mark Grave said the hub will leverage Australia’s world-leading wool identification and traceability technologies, WoolClip and eBale.

“WoolClip is the on-farm digital data capture tool for Australian wool growers which easily allows growers to scan eBales at the source of origin and record each bale’s unique identifying number.

“With continued adoption and use of eBale and WoolClip, wool growers can be key contributors to Australian wool’s traceability data that will enable the hub,” he said.

The hub will be managed by Australian Wool Testing Authority. AWTA managing director Michael Jackson said the Australian wool industry relies on test certificates and objective measurement in the marketing and processing of wool, domestically and with overseas trading partners.

“Integrating that information within the Hub will strengthen the local supply chain and ensure Australia can respond quickly and effectively to an EAD outbreak.

“AWTA’s role in the ongoing management of the Hub will promote confidence and trust in the platform,” he said.

Australian Council of Wool Exporters and Processors president Josh Lamb  said no other wool producing country can boast a national independent data hub such as the AWTH.

“This makes Australia market leaders in the digital space for product identification and traceability.

“The hub coupled with existing technologies gives industry the ability to better meet international customers’ requirements and also negate some impacts of potential EAD outbreaks.”

WIA said the hub also represents a significant industry collaboration, bringing together industry bodies including ACWEP, AWEX, Australian Wool Handlers, Australian Wool Innovation, the AWTA, the NCWSBA and WoolProducers Australia.

The AWTA and AWI will conduct an introductory webinar on the hub on 31 July 2024, from 7pm AEST.

The webinar will include a demonstration of the newly launched platform as well as information about how you can get involved. To register click here.

https://info.awth.com.au/grower-webinar

For more information on the Australian Wool Traceability Hub please visit awth.com.au.