Life on the land is no picnic at the moment with high fuel prices, interest rates, and inflation all taking their toll.

Some good news, though, for one well-known local wool producer recently signing a decade-long contract that should ensure a stable supply agreement and good prices well into the future.

In what has been described as an Australian first, district property 'Mumblebone' – a sixth-generation merino stud near Wellington – has secured a rolling 10-year wool supply contract with New Zealand-based “natural performance” apparel brand, icebreaker.

The agreement establishes a direct supply relationship between Mumblebone and the brand through a long-term contract model. This new model breaks from the traditional Australian wool system where, for decades, wool has been sold via auction systems before changing hands multiple times in the production and sales process, before delivery to manufacturers who then sell-on their branded products to ultimately reach the consumer.

For Mumblebone principals Chad and Louise Taylor, though, the 10-year icebreaker agreement aims to build on generations of breeding expertise and scientific selection processes that has accelerated since the business relocated to Wellington from near Warren in 1996.

“Wool markets are often subject to volatility,” Chad said of the new contract. “Having a rolling 10-year commitment at an agreed structure, gives us stability, allows long-term planning and investment, and strengthens the connection between what we do on-farm and the garments that are produced,” he added.