The news does not improve for the country's wool industry, with sales last week on both sides of the Tasman finding the going tough because of the global financial crisis.
Thursday's sale of South Island wool in Christchurch was especially difficult, with 80% of the merino catalogue, 45% of the mid-micron, and 23% of the crossbred wool being passed in or withdrawn from sale.
While sales of some Australian wool remained sticky, prices for some of New Zealand Merino's offering at Melbourne last Wednesday were steady, with 70% of the catalogue selling, but prices were mixed.
At Christchurch, some prices for shorter crossbred wool improved, assisted by a weaker New Zealand dollar, but finer and early shorn fleece eased 1%-3%.
Better quality and coloured crossbred fleece went against the trend, lifting 1%-2.5%, but poorerwool fell 1%-2.5% and oddments by 2%-4%.
Mid-micron wool was especially caught up in the international economic turmoil, with 29.5 micron and finer easing 7%-10% and 30 micron-31 micron falling 2.5%-3.5%.
Mainly poorer merino fleece and oddments were sold, while better style fleece which did sell fell 15%-20%.
Last week's Christchurch sale offered 11,300 bales, but this week's Napier sale has only attracted 6600 as vendors wait for smoother conditions.
In Melbourne, New Zealand Merino reported that specific orders saw prices for certain lines of 15 micron-16.5 micron wool rise by up to $3 a kg on the last sale.
Competition also drove up prices for 14.9 micron and finer.
A bale of 13.5 micron wool from Earnscleugh Station, at Clyde, sold for $270 a a kg greasy.
Eight buyers competed for the New Zealand offering.
