Tintinara Poll Merino breeders Craig and Jed Keller are delighted with the big premium they are receiving from identifying their wool as from a flock that has ceased mulesing.
They are among a growing number of woolgrowers who have joined Responsible Wool Standard - a global accreditation program that also covers on-farm practices from biodiversity to animal health standards and more.
Last spring, they gained their certification and in March this year they sold their first RWS-certified clip of nearly 80 bales under their Hatinka brand.
It averaged $2480 a bale, which is $335/bale above the pre-sale appraisal on a static market.
Six months later, their March shearing sold under the program, which was lower yielding than the September clip, due to time of year, but was an even bigger hit with the market.
"That was $2054 (a bale), compared to the appraisal of $1734 - RWS buyers were pretty hot on it," Craig said.
The Kellers say they were encouraged to sign up to RWS by their Elders district wool manager Trevor Smith, who walked them through their process.
Although it took about two days to complete all the modules - much of it completed by Craig's wife Heidi, who had previous managerial experience in similar types of accreditation - they feel it has been worth it.
"Why not produce what the market wants?" Craig said.
"It is one of the few accreditation programs I can think of at the moment that is paying its way. All the others are extra paperwork for no reward, but this is different.
"They do supply templates too, which were very useful."
Jed says it is largely about proving their "clean, green credentials".
The Kellers run 1000-1100 Poll Merino ewes in their Ramsgate stud, selling about 100 rams each year, with a quality selection still available.
It is one of the few accreditation programs I can think of at the moment that is paying its way. All the others are extra paperwork for no reward.
- CRAIG KELLER
Their commercial flock, which averages about 19.5 micron in the adult sheep, has a similar number of Merino ewes to the stud, with half of these a self-replacing flock.
The lesser wool types and older commercial ewes are mated to White Suffolks.
The Kellers have worked hard to breed a plain-bodied sheep that does not require mulesing.
"We did non-mules in 2008 and 2009 thinking that 2010 was going to be the deadline and we would be ahead, but we copped a $30 discount on our surplus sheep in the offshears sale in 2009," Jed said.
Craig says when "the goal posts shifted" and the 2010 deadline was removed, they decided it was easier to remain part of the majority of woolgrowers.
For the past five years, the Kellers have shorn twice a year in mid-March and mid-September, which they say is an advantage for preventing flystrike issues, but they have also made considerable genetic progress in the past decade.
These factors have all given them the confidence to cease mulesing for good.
They are now in their third consecutive year of producing non-mulesed lambs, with their unmulesed surplus sheep in demand.
Jed says they have been using Australian Sheep Breeding Values in their stud for some years, but their next step, especially for their ram clients, is likely to be recording breech wrinkle and breech cover scores.
"If they are looking to make a change and come to us to make that change, they need to select the right rams to help them achieve their goals," Craig added.
The brothers believe there will come a time when mulesing is no longer accepted, with New Zealand already banning the surgical practice.
Jed says their present management was enough to easily meet most of the RWS standards, with the main change required being the use of pain relief at lamb marking. This had them use Numnuts for the first time this year for castration.
The Kellers expect the gap between RWS and the rest of the market to remain even, with more growers looking at moving towards not mulesing their flocks and potentially being eligible to join the program.
"There is a big debate - if there is twice as much unmulesed wool, are we still going to see a premium?" Jed said.
"The comment I heard was that it would only take one of the China buyers or producers to want non-mulesed wool, then we will have even bigger demand than we have got now."
Wool exporter G Schneider Pty Ltd is the scope certificate holder for RWS.
Their wool manager, Mark Symes, says interest in the RWS program has grown considerably this year, but demand is still outstripping supply.
"Prior to January this year, we had about 50 certified growers, but now we have almost 150 growers," he said.
"The incentives were pretty stable at $1.50-$2.50 a kilogram - now it is more like $2-$3/kg in terms of the premium. Buyers are searching for the quality wool clips in the program, but they need to be free of colour and cott."
He says they have "significant orders" until March 2023 from Europe and the United States customers for RWS wool, largely on the finer wool types.
NZ buyers are also sourcing RWS wool in Australia to make up a shortfall in its needs.
Mr Symes hopes other growers will work towards becoming accredited - a cost of $1100 a year.
"The brands we are working with are telling us that consumers want to know the products they are buying are from animals cared for well, the land is being cared for, even down to the workers who work with the sheep are being treated well," he said.
