A recent forecast has shown an expected decrease in Victorian sheep shorn in the next shearing season, while SA and NSW are expected to rise in numbers.
The latest Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee's forecast showed shorn wool production for 2023-24 would be 328 million kilograms greasy, or 72.2 million head, about the same as this year's estimate.
It rose about one per cent because of held-over lambs and retention of older breeding ewes.
Their latest forecast has wool production steady across the nation, but noticeable differences across the states.
New South Wales is expected to have an increase of 3.9pc shorn wool production, while South Australia has an expected 2.6pc increase, but a decrease in Victoria and other states.
The forecast shows the average cut per head is expected to reduce by 2.2pc at 4.54kg greasy, because of dry seasonal conditions and normal shearing patterns returning.
The key test data showed no change in mean fibre diameter at 20.4 microns.
AWPFC committee chairman Stephen Hill said the revised December forecast showed a larger number of sheep shorn, while lower sheep meat prices relative to wool increased the number of held over lambs and retained older breeding ewes.
"New South Wales is forecast to shear 26.9 million head this season, up 3.9pc, with favourable seasonal conditions in southern regions of the state expected to compensate for the relatively poorer season in northern regions," he said.
"The number of sheep shorn is expected to increase in both South Australia and Tasmania but decrease in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland."
The report claimed seasonal conditions were average to dry across all key wool producing regions since August.
It also showed earlier shearing paired with low sheep meat and cattle prices increased auction numbers, with an increase in 8.9pc first hand offering.
The national committee builds the forecast on advice from six state committees, which included growers, brokers, private treaty merchants, sheep pregnancy scanners, state department representatives and Australian Wool Testing Authority representatives.
The forecast used data from AWEX, wool exporters, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, ABARES, and Meat & Livestock Australia.
The full forecast is available online here.
