Wool Marketing Board may close depots to cut cost
Source: British Wool Marketing Board Date: 2008-02-01
Cost saving measures will involve the closure of depots in some UK regions it was announced by the British Wool Marketing Board at its annual conference.
For Welsh and Welsh Borders sheep farmers it will mean closure of the grading function at Bromyard, although there will continue to be a collection centre either at the existing premises or in the near vicinity.
In addition there will be reduction in staff at Brecon and Port Madoc while in Scotland the depot at Irvine will now be mainly used as a collection centre with grading continuing on a limited scale until the depot is closed.
With all the measures taken there should be no significant change in the service given to producers. Speaking at the conference in Bradford, chairman Frank Langrish said the board's internal strategy group had been involved in a thorough and detailed evaluation of potential cost savings measures over several months.
"It has been necessary to close our grading operation at Bromyard, make significant operational changes at Irvine and to reduce the staff at Brecon , Port Madoc and Muckamore in Northern Ireland.
"Inevitably further closures may be inevitable if the weight of wool being handled continues to decline. It's been a very difficult decision," said Mr Langrish who farms in Sussex
"We have also taken the decision to sell the existing Irvine depot because of the very high business rate in the locality. Collection centres in the area will be maintained," said Mr Langrish who farms in Sussex.
"The setting-up of more collection centres and wider use of compactors in order to bulk-up loads that have to be moved to grading depots - as well as the use of new-style sheets and press packing machines - will also be introduced."
Mr Langrish stressed that these changes were part of an on-going review of cost saving measures underway within the British Wool Marketing Board.
The annual meeting was also told that in the latest elections covering Wool Board members for the English Southern Region, Welsh Northern Region and Scottish Southern Region - all three members had been re-elected unopposed.
They are Frank Langrish (English Southern Region); Tom Tudor (Welsh Northern Region) and Hugh Blythe (Scottish Southern Region)
The eleven members that comprise the board of the BWMB also announced at the meeting that they intended to waive their annual increment for this year.
