Secret process In Belgium bodes well for Swaledale sheep farmers

A secret process developed by a family-owned company in Belgium could be the first step towards improving wool prices for hill farmers running flocks of Swaledale sheep.

And it's another reason why the market for Swaledale wool is expanding among merchants in the UK and in Europe as uptake increases to meet the demand for both pure and blended yarns for carpet manufacture.

So why is a process developed by the Van Riel family in Belgium, helping to lift the demand for Swaledale wool for British farmers?

The answer is de-pigmentation which removes the "greyness" from Swaledale wool and by rendering it white thereby increases its value.

And the process, which was developed many years ago and remains a closely guarded secret, also enables the "white" wool to be dyed during the same process.

This makes it an increasing attractive proposition for merchants and spinners looking for hard wearing carpet yarn that can be dyed without carrying any of the grey fibres normally associated with Swaledale wool.

Richard Poole, the British Wool Marketing Board's European Business Manager, said the Van Riel family operated one of the most technically advanced and eco-efficient processing plants in Europe.

"Natural Swaledale wool is already being used by a leading carpet manufacturer in Holland and now that the Belgian de-pigmentation process is proving so successful it will hopefully mean the demand for Swaledale wool can be sustained," said Richard Poole.

Although the price for Swaledale wool remains at around 40p a kilo, the improvement in demand has brought about a significant change. Instead of being left with large carry-over stocks, the British Wool Marketing Board is now managing to sell all its Swaledale wool each season.