The chief executive of the fine wool marketing company, John Brakenridge, said after the recent vote by farmers not to pay a wool levy, collaboration in certain areas was needed for the good of the wider wool industry.
That included shearer training and trade representation in areas such as market access.
"There are many [collaborative efforts] on farm areas and global political areas that need to be continued as much as possible - a representative voice of industry [is needed] rather than a whole lot of fractured voices."
Mr Brakenridge said New Zealand Merino (NZM) became aware of the need to collaborate when the company was formed, a time characterised by discord.
"It's a model we're not unfamiliar with."
NZM was prepared to take a lead to initiate harmony within the strong wool sector.
"NZM would be proactive in looking for areas where it would be sensible to have collaboration," he said.
The strong wool industry has degenerated into factions, with allegations Meat and Wool New Zealand was favouring a new marketing company, Wool Partners International (WPI); exporters angry WPI had been formed; and Elders Primary Wool claiming WPI's branding was ineffective.
Mr Brakenridge said it was necessary to focus on the 80% of the industry where there was consensus, rather than the 20% where there was discord.
He said collaboration and co-operation was vital for the strong wool sector, but there were also benefits for fine wool growers from mutual sheep and wool projects.
He supported strong wool's move to a free market model, saying it had served the fine wool sector well, but the challenge was to determine when the sector competed and when it collaborated.
"I believe if done right a free market model is better - but it has to be done right."
One area the fine wool sector viewed as sound and retained as its responsibility was the training of wool classers.
NZM was an integrated supply-chain, wool-marketing company and the training of wool classers was viewed as a key link in that chain, with classers trained to sort wool according to the needs of customers.
Strong wool was following NZM down the integrated supply-chain path, but Mr Brakenridge warned the process was complicated, difficult to achieve and required a cultural shift for the industry.
Farmers had to appreciate when they accepted a contract price for a two to three-year term, the spot price could spike higher.
Equally, it could be lower.
The industry also needed to provide product integrity, provenance and continue to find positive attributes which differentiated their product from others.