An Economic Analysis of the Effects of Alternative Shearing Methods on Wool Quality in Eastern South Dakota

The lack of information relating the quality of the wool clip at the farm to its value to the manufacturer has been recognized for several years. The following objectives were set out as a means of guiding the study of wool quality improvement in eastern South Dakota: To determine the theoretical effects of improved methods of shearing and handling wool on quantities produced, prices received, apportionment of benefits between producers and consumers, farm resource allocation, producers\u27 bargaining power, and marketing costs; to develop and test practical methods of farm preparation of fleeces which could be expected to improve the quality of the wool; to determine the effects of the preparation treatments on the quality and value of farm flock wool; and to determine the additional costs to producers of alternative methods of wool preparation