Carl Stephenson has been re-elected as British Wool’s English northern regional board member for a further three-year term.
Stephenson, who farms near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, will have his new term begin on April 1, 2024.
He has been representing the British Wool English northern region as board member since 2015.
He farms 400ac and runs Limousin and Beef Shorthorn suckler cows along with Swaledale ewes, Bluefaced Leicester and North of England Mule ewes.
On his re-election as a British Wool board member, Stephenson said: “I feel privileged and delighted to have been elected back on to the board to represent the English northern region for a further three years. I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
UK wool industry
Last month, British Wool and the National Sheep Association (NSA) announced a 12-month wool focused research project to look at increasing the value of wool through breeding and genetics.
The goal of Fabulous Fibre is to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the potential of reducing micron count of finer wool quality UK sheep breeds to increase productivity, sustainability and resilience for sheep farmers and the wool industry.
Wool quality is measured by testing wool fibres to establish a micron value.
Lower micron wool is softer to the touch in fabrics and more highly valued for textiles requiring this attribute such as high-quality suits or layers worn next to skin, the lower the micron, the greater the value/kg.
Fabulous Fibre brings together the NSA, British Wool, the Centre for Excellence in Livestock (CIEL), Langrish Farmers and the Wool Testing Authority Europe (WTAE).
Chief executive of British Wool, Andrew Hogley, said: “This project is extremely exciting.
“When you look at the wool currently produced in the UK there is very little that falls into the lower micron categories.
“Where it does, we are able to command a significant premium (Bluefaced Leicester wool trades at prices above those for comparable Australian wools).
“If we can produce lower micron wool in the UK it should command a significant premium and will also potentially open up new product opportunities for British wool.”
