Imagine Wales without sheep? That scenario is becoming increasingly likely due to the lack of viability of wool production. In the 1990s there were an estimated 12m sheep in Wales, in 2024 that number had dropped by nearly a third to 8.75m (BBC).
Lamb and beef consumption is down. European subsidies for farmers are down, due to Brexit. The cost of animal feed is rising.
Covid had a huge impact on sheep farmers. In 2020, just as Welsh wool farmers were getting ready for market covid hit again. Global prices for wool dropped from £1 per kilo to 50 pence per kilo. That meant that wool farming was unprofitable once the animals were fed, the shearers were paid and the wool had been delivered (Nation.Cymru). Farmers were also unable to claim financial support.
The market has since recovered but in 2024, the average price for ‘greasy’ (unwashed wool) was still only £0.76 and clean wool £1.14 (British Wool).
History of Welsh wool
Wool and weaving are part of history in Wales. The earliest references to wool and weaving date back to the 10th century. It is mentioned in the Laws of Hywel Dda, the 10th-century king of Deheubarth (National Library of Wales).
The hilly terrain lent itself to pastoral sheep farming and weaving was a common cottage industry. Over time mills were mechanised and the 18th and 19th centuries saw a number of factories set up, among them Bridgend, Machynlleth and Dolgellau. Melin Tregwynt has been operating on the site in Castemorris since at least 1841.
The Made with Wool Project
Social enterprise Menter Môn initiated the Gwnaed  Gwlan (Made with Wool) project in 2021. The idea was to bring Welsh wool stakeholders together to brainstorm ways to increase the profitability of wool through the development of innovative products and the facilitation of supply chain opportunities.
Wool is a ‘natural, sustainable and versatile material’. Made with Wool are offering free wool testing to farmers so that they can ascertain the quality of their wool. This will help them make breeding decisions.
The products in development include using wool in acoustic sound insulation, thermal insulation, purifying air filters, making substrates for hydroponics, and extracting keratin from wool for the cosmetics, medical and commercial industries.
To reestablish a commercial scale supply chain for Welsh wool, Made with Wool combined wool from several farms. British Wool developed a traceability scheme so that every farmer who submits wool will receive a premium for every fleece purchased.
Experts were called in to specify the right mix of fibres to make a commercially viable yarn for weaving and spinning. A commercial level yarn spinning company in Yorkshire (no such company exists in Wales) advised on colours and ran trials of the yarn.
The Welsh Wool Collection
Melin Tregwynt, whose mill produces woollen blankets and home accessories, has designed a limited edition range of woollen blankets for the project. As local employers they are supportive of the scheme as it promotes Welsh wool, the local community, and traditional skills.
In 2022, the mill was transferred by the Griffiths family who had owned it for a century into an employee owned trust. The team, many of whom have been working at the mill for decades, now run the mill and the on site shop. Visitors are welcomed at the shop and the Welsh Wool collection can be purchased online from 1 March (St. David’s Day).
