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Related Keywords: best quality woolm Merino sheep, fine wool producer, global fashion, suplus building of fine wool, Tasmanian wool producers

Tasmania has been home to the best-quality wool in the world. Merino sheep have been bred in Tasmania for over 180 years. It is also the sheep’s living conditions which are responsible for the top-quality wool. Tasmania provides the greatest possible diversity. But fine wool producers in Tasmania have been seeing a steady decline in premiums falling by 96 percent since 2001.

Surplus building on the market after years of a push to 'get fine or get out' have been the main reason of the declining returns for fine wool.

Related Keywords: Cormo sheep breed, funding campaign in 2011, Kylie Gusset, locally processed wool, Tasmanian Central Highlands sheep, Tasmanian wool producers, Ton of Wool

Kylie Gusset, a yarn entrepreneur based in Victoria with focus on locally produced and hand dyed yarns works with Tasmanian wool producers, started a project called Ton of Wool. Under this project, wool from the Cormo sheep breed is used and Kylie works with the Downie family, the Tasmanian Central Highlands sheep farmers who were the first to breed Cormo's around 1960.