Wool laboratory to open

Wool from sheep from around the world will be examined

A laboratory testing the quality of wool from across the world is to open in Gwynedd creating 20 new jobs.

Developed as a partnership between the British Wool Marketing Board and the New Zealand Wool Testing Authority, the £3 million lab is to open next May in Caernarfon's Cibyn industrial estate.

Wool from across the Northern Hemisphere and South America will be tested at the centre which is seen as a much needed boost for the hill farming community.

Previously all wool from Wales was sent to Bradford in Yorkshire for testing.

Elwyn Vaughan, from north Wales rural development company CYMAD, which is involved in the project, welcomed the news.

"This exciting development is designed to meet ever increasing demands of the textile industry for detailed and accurate testing of wool," he said.

New life

It's also the first steps towards setting up a cluster of centres in Wales focusing on adding value onto wool products and breathing new life into a traditional industry which has recently become static, he said.

Industry demands for wool to be measured for strength and to be tested for levels of chemicals and dirt have increased.

The laboratory in Caernarfon will collate information which gives farmers information on the quality and value of their wool.

"With 11 million kilos of wool transported from Wales annually, we have been very eager to promote projects which bring added value to the project," Mr Vaughan said.

Further plans are being considered to set up a research and development plant at Dinas Mawddwy, south Gwynedd, to look into possible new uses for wool and explore future markets.