Wool is one of the textile fiber obtained from sheep and few other animals. Wool is considered to have protein and a small fraction of lipids.
Wool from sheep is mainly obtained by sheep shearing, which is the process in which the woolen fleece on sheep is cut off. Once the wool is cut off from the sheep, it is separated into 4 main categories that are Fleece, Locks, Broken, and Bellies.
The process of determining the quality of wool is called wool classing. Wool is produced by many countries and here is the list of top 10 wool producing countries in the world today.
Highest Wool Producing Countries in the World
10. Sudan
Sudan is the 10th largest producer of wool in the world. This country covers over 2.5 million square kilometers and is considered to be the largest country on the African continent. Sudan is estimated to have one of the largest livestock that includes cattle, sheep, camels, and goats. Studies indicate that the number of sheep grown in this country for wool has been growing at the rate of 2.8% per year. Shugor, Dubasi, and Watish are the three types of desert sheep’s found in Sudan.
Total percentage of world production – 2
9. India
India is the 9th largest producer of wool in the world. The wool produced in this country is not sufficient to meet the domestic demand and so the country imports wool for its domestic needs. Average wool yield per sheep is considered to be 3.5kg/sheep annually but, in India, it is just 0.8Kg/sheep annually. This country is estimated to have 720 woolen mills in the organized sector and much more in the small-scale sector. Out of this 720, 250 units alone are concentrated in Ludhiana.
Total percentage of world production – 2
8. United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is the 8th largest producer of wool in the world. This country once had the greatest production of wool but, declined eventually from the introduction of synthetic fibers. One of the notable features of the wool from the UK is that they are strong with high micron. They are usually used for the manufacturing of carpets, rugs etc. It is estimated that the UK has 60 different breeds of sheep out of which 25 are rare breeds.
Total percentage of world production – 2
7. Iran
Iran is the 7th largest producer of wool in the world. Majority of the wool from this country is used to manufacture carpets, felt, bedding etc. Iran is one of the oldest producers of wool in the world with a history that traces back to 6500BC. One of the notable things about Iranian wool is that it is not only manufactured from sheep, but also from camels. Today, Iran is the 5th largest export of wool and the quantity of production has been increasing for the past 75 years.
Total percentage of world production – 2
6. Turkey
Turkey is the 6th largest producer of wool in the world. This country is also one of the world’s largest sheep and goat raising countries. The majority of the wool produced in Turkey is the coarse-wool type that is commonly used for carpet manufacturing. Cotton and wool textile industry accounted for almost 10% of the total GDP of this country.
Total percentage of world production – 2
5. Argentina
Argentina is the 5th largest producer of wool in the world. This country has a unique system that values their wool industry. One of the notable features of the wool industry in Argentina is that the number of sheep has never declined and the government has taken steps to promote wool production. Patagonia is the major contributor to the overall production of wool in this country.
Total percentage of world production – 3
4. New Zealand
New Zealand is the 4th largest producer of wool in the world. This country has a long history of producing wool and the quantity of production boomed as a result of the United States policy in Korean War. New Zealand is considered as the world’s largest exporter of finest quality of wool. One of the notable features of New Zealand’s wool is that they have a unique white colour and were less contaminated. The wool industry in this country has been improving as the government has invested in improving the machinery and also have taken steps to market the products internationally.
Total percentage of world production – 11
3. The United States of America
The United States of America is the 3rd largest producer of wool in the world. The average wool yield from a sheep in this country is about 7.2 pounds annually. The wool industry saw a decline in production with the advent of synthetic substitute materials. The wool produced in this country can directly compete with the coarse wool from New Zealand and fine wool from Australia.
Total percentage of world production – 17
2. China
China is the 2nd largest producer of wool in the world. This country is the largest producer of wool in the world; however, the Australian wool dominates the world market in quality and availability. Estimates indicate that wool produced in China is not sufficient to meet the domestic demands of the country and therefore the country imports a large quantity of wool from Australia and other major producers.
Total percentage of world production – 18
1. Australia
Australia is the largest producer of wool in the world. The wool produced in this country dominates the wool industry in the world with its quality. Studies indicate that wool is produced in almost every state of this country except the northern territory. Majority of the wool comes from New South Wales and Victoria. It is estimated that there are 70 million sheep in Australia that is used for producing wool.
Total percentage of world production – 25
All the data’s mentioned above were collected from several websites; the ranking was done by the Wikipedia on the basis of quantity and percentage production.
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