Merino wool is grown by woolgrowers who raise and care for Merino sheep on farms, with Australia producing most of the world’s Merino wool for apparel and is globally recognised for its fibre quality. Australian woolgrowers manage sheep health, pasture and land, harvesting Merino wool through shearing. Sheep are shorn at least once a year to manage the natural growth of the fleece and maintain their wellbeing. After the wool is shorn, it is classed and prepared for sale before entering the global wool supply chain for processing into textile products. Australia is the world’s largest producer of Merino wool, with Australian woolgrowers caring for Merino sheep across a range of farming regions. Merino sheep are prized for producing some of the world's finest and softest wool fibres, making them particularly suited to high-quality apparel.
What is a woolgrower?
Woolgrowers care for their sheep and the land throughout the year, managing animal health, pasture and natural resources while producing Merino wool for the global textile industry.
Many Australian wool-growing-farms continue to be family owned and operated, with generations of woolgrowers contributing to the development of the Merino wool industry across more than 200 years of wool production in Australia.
Woolgrowers are responsible for:
- Raising and caring for sheep
- Managing pasture and farm environments
- Harvesting wool through shearing
- Preparing wool for sale into the wool supply chain
Where is Merino wool grown?
Australia is the world's largest producer of fine Merino wool for apparel. Merino wool is produced in several countries, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and parts of South America. Merino sheep are well suited to a wide range of climates, which is why Merino wool can be produced across different regions of the world.
Australian woolgrowers operate across diverse landscapes, from higher rainfall regions on the eastern seaboard to the drier pastoral areas in western and inland Australia. Many woolgrowers work to preserve, protect and improve the natural resources of their farms to support the measurement and management of environmental outcomes on wool-growing properties.
How is Merino wool harvested?
Merino wool is harvested through shearing, the process of clipping the fleece that sheep naturally grow. Sheep are generally shorn at least once a year to maintain their wellbeing and manage wool growth. Trained shearers use specialised equipment to clip the fleece efficiently. After shearing, the fleece is:
- Skirted and cleaned
- Classed according to fibre quality
- Prepared for auction or sale
The wool then enters the global wool supply chain, where it is processed into yarns and textile products.
FAQs
Why do sheep grow wool?
Sheep naturally grow wool as protection from the weather. Domestic Merino sheep have been selectively bred over generation to produce a continuous fleece, which means they need regular shearing to maintain their health and wellbeing.
GLOSSARY
Woolgrower: A farmer who raises sheep to produce wool fibre for the global textile supply chain.
Shearing: The process of clipping wool fleece from sheep by using specialised equipment.
Fleece: Wool shorn from a sheep during shearing.
Skirting: The process of removing lower-quality edges from a freshly shorn fleece before wool is classed and prepared for sale.
Wool classing: The process of sorting wool according to fibre characteristics such as fineness, length and strength before sale.
Merino sheep: A breed of sheep renowned for producing exceptionally fine, soft wool used in apparel and textiles.
Related wool fibre information
Merino wool begins on-farm, where woolgrowers raise sheep and produce the fibre before it moves through the textile supply chain. To understand how Merino wool’s fibre structure supports performance, read The Science Behind the Wool Fibre.