Wool exporters say a significant slide in wool carpet sales in New Zealand and Australia reinforces the pressing need to bolster wool promotion in both countries.
There has been a 75% drop in New Zealand wool exports to Australia this season.
Wool exporters president John Dawson says wool carpet sales in New Zealand and Australia are losing out badly to heavily promoted solution-dyed nylon carpets.
That has been made worse by prices for wool used in carpets almost doubling last year.
Mr Dawson says the international wool campaign, which has been focused mainly in the northern hemisphere, needs to pay more attention to the Australasian market.
He says man-made fibres have tried to duplicate a lot of the qualities associated with wool.
Mr Dawson says there are a lot of advantages in using wool, but consumers are not being told about them at point of retail.
He says as the campaign for wool gains momentum, it is likely that more resources will be devoted to informing consumers in Australia and New Zealand of its benefits.
The wool campaign's New Zealand chairperson, Stephen Fookes agrees, and says planning is under way for that to happen.
