There is strong support among sheep farmers for a bid to gain farmer control of Wool Services International.
Wool Equities Ltd, a farmer-owned investment company, has confirmed it wants to mount a bid for full or partial ownership of Wool Services, an exporter and processor.
To do that, WEL will need to compete with other potential buyers for the 64% majority shareholding held by two companies, Plum Duff and Woolpak Holdings
Those companies are in receivership as a result of the South Canterbury Finance collapse.
A successful bid by Wool Equities would bring the country's biggest wool exporter and one of the country's two wool scouring companies into farmer control.
WEL chair Cliff Heath says it the idea is getting plenty of encouragement from farmers who already have a minority shareholding in Wool Services International.
One bidder for Wool Services is Cavalier Wool Holdings and Cliff Heath says farmers are opposed to it making a takeover as that would result in a monopoly in wool scouring in New Zealand.
Cavalier's bid for Wool Services International is on hold until a High Court hearing scheduled for a month of an appeal against Cavaliers's plan.
