Wool prices at Thursday's auction were hit by the rise in the dollar over the past fortnight.
New Zealand Wool Services International reports that since the previous sale a fortnight ago, the dollar has strengthened by 4% against the weighted wool indicator, which reflects the main wool trading currencies.
The sale on Thursday was among the largest of the season, with nearly 30,000 bales offered.
Continuing limited demand coupled with grower dissatisfaction at the current market resulted in an average passing rate of 40%.
A small selection of mid micron wools were 4% to 10% cheaper than when last offered, reflecting downward price trends in other producing markets.
Fine crossbred fleece and longer shears eased by up to 10%, while coarser end and shorter types also dropped in price, by up to 3%.
A very small offering of coarse good colour fleece resisted the trend, strengthening by 1%, though poorer styles softened up to 7%.
Good style coarse early shorn and second shears were firm to 2% cheaper. Poor styles received less support, reducing up to 7%.
First lambs wools and all oddments were up to 6% cheaper.
The next auction, of about 12,000 bales of North Island wool, will be held in Napier in two weeks.
