British Wool expect farmers to be paid £1/kg for 2026 clip

As shearing gets under way across the UK, wool prices are at the strongest they have been for some time with prices 70% higher than last year.

British Wool has calculated that the average returns for farmers for the 2025 wool clip were at their highest levels for 10 years, lifting year on year from 40p/kg to 68p/kg with increases across all wool types.

Core grades of Mule, Texel, Romney, Hill and Cheviot Cross have been paying between 70p/kg and 75p/kg for 2025 wool.

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Looking ahead, British Wool expects prices to lift by a further 30p/kg for the 2026 wool clip, with farm businesses likely to receive £1/kg plus for many of the core grades of wool this year.

This means farm businesses could be paid £2.50 a fleece, based on a 2.5kg fleece or £4 for a heavier 4kg fleece.

The National Association of Agricultural Contractors price guide for 2026-27 sets the typical rate for shearing ewes at £1.93/head, which means that for the first time in many years the income from fleeces could actually cover the direct cost of shearing.

Strong market demand from both domestic and export buyers has been helping to support prices at auction.

Jim Robertson, chairman of British Wool, said: “This is a strong result for our members and a clear sign the market is moving in the right direction.

“Prices are up across all wool types because there is real competition at auction, and that only happens when farmers sell together through us.

“The auction is where prices are made. The more wool that comes through us, the stronger the returns will be for everyone.”

Northern Ireland

Ulster Wool, which partners with British Wool, and is supplied by 3,000 farmers in Northern Ireland, has also seen an uplift in prices.

Ulster Wool chairman Brendan Kelly added: “This is exactly what collective selling is designed to do, as we saw in 2021 after the Covid pandemic, working together to strengthen the market, deliver better value for wool produced in Northern Ireland, and maximise returns to our members.”

Democratic Unionist Party MP Carla Lockhart suggested the significant increase in wool prices was a positive boost for the local sheep sector.

“It is fantastic to see sheep farmers getting an opportunity to improve the viability of their businesses through the sale of wool,” said Ms Lockhart.

She added that the positive outlook for the 2026 season was “encouraging” and represented a “major turnaround for the sector.”