Insight for Sunday 12 June 2011

The wool industry has been in the doldrums for decades. Last year prices for the coarse or carpet style-wool that New Zealand mainly produces from its cross-bred sheep reached their lowest level in 100 years.

But in the space of a few months, those prices have staged a remarkable recovery, to the point where they have almost doubled in some cases.

Rural reporter, Kevin Ikin,  investigates the reasons for that, and whether this is a renaissance for the wool industry.