Lv Gn 2 (3-99)

Wool and

Mohair

National

Agricultural

Statistics

Service

USDA

Washington, D.C.

Released March 25, 1999, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of

Agriculture. For information on "Wool and Mohair" call James Hand at 202-690-3236, office hours 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.

 

1998 Wool Production Down 8 Percent

Shorn wool production in the United States during 1998 was 49.2 million pounds, down 8 percent

from 1997. Sheep and lambs shorn totaled 6.43 million head, a decrease of 8 percent from 1997. The

average price paid for wool sold in 1998 was $0.60 per pound for a total value of $29.4 million dollars,

down 35 percent from $44.9 million dollars in 1997.

Mohair production in the four major producing states (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas)

during 1998 was 5.09 million pounds, down 26 percent from 1997. Goats and kids clipped, at

705,000 head, was down 25 percent from 1997. Average weight per clip was 7.2 pounds compared

with 7.3 pounds a year earlier. Value of mohair was $12.6 million dollars, down 18 percent from 1997.

Wool: Production, Price, and Value, United States, 1996-98

Year Sheep

Shorn 1

Weight

per

Fleece

Shorn

Wool

Production

Price

per

Pound

Value

1,000 Head Pounds 1,000 Pounds Dollars 1,000 Dollars

1996

1997

1998

7,215

6,960

6,426

7.78

7.70

7.66

56,159

53,578

49,239

0.70

0.84

0.60

39,270

44,909

29,406 1 Includes shearing at commercial feeding yards.
Wool and Mohair Agricultural Statistics Board

March 1999 2 NASS, USDA

Mohair: Production, Price, and Value, 4-State Total, 1996-98

Year Goats

Clipped

Average

Clip per

Goat

Production

Price

per

Pound

Value

1,000 Head Pounds 1,000 Pounds Dollars 1,000 Dollars

1996

1997

1998

1,189

936

705

6.7

7.3

7.2

8,009

6,849

5,089

1.93

2.25

2.48

15,428

15,411

12,623

Mohair: Production, Price, and Value by Selected States

and 4-State Total, 1997-98

State

Goats

Clipped

Average

Clip

per

Goat

Production

Price

per

Pound

Value 1

1997 1998 1997 1998 1997 1998 1997 1998 1997 1998

1,000 Head 1,000 Head Pounds Pounds 1,000

Pounds

1,000

Pounds Dollars Dollars 1,000 Dollars 1,000 Dollars

AZ

NM

OK

TX

4 Sts

38

53

5

840

936

36

44

5

620

705

4.2

5.1

7.0

7.6

7.3

4.5

5.5

7.0

7.5

7.2

160

270

35

6,384

6,849

162

242

35

4,650

5,089

1.70

1.90

2.00

2.28

2.25

1.25

1.30

1.75

2.59

2.48

272

513

70

14,556

15,411

203

315

61

12,044

12,623 1 Production multiplied by marketing year average price for individual States; 4-State value is summation of State

values. 
Wool and Mohair Agricultural Statistics Board

March 1999 3 NASS, USDA

Wool: Number of Sheep and Lambs Shorn, Weight per Fleece,

and Production by State and United States, 1997-98

State Sheep Shorn Weight per Fleece Production

1997 1998 1997 1998 1997 1998

1,000 Head 1,000 Head Pounds Pounds 1,000 Pounds 1,000 Pounds

AL

AK

AZ

CA

CO

CT

ID

IL

IN

IA

KS

KY

LA

ME

MD

MA

MI

MN

MO

MT

NE

NV

NH

NJ

NM

NY

NC

ND

OH

OK

OR

PA

SD

TN

TX

UT

VT

VA

WA

WV

WI

WY

Oth Sts 1

US

5.5

1.2

120.0

470.0

600.0

4.2

246.0

82.0

55.0

260.0

98.0

17.5

6.8

9.0

15.0

7.0

62.0

150.0

71.0

387.0

85.0

70.0

5.6

9.0

280.0

51.0

9.2

98.0

135.0

51.0

290.0

64.0

390.0

11.0

1,500.0

344.0

12.4

49.9

41.0

40.0

73.0

650.0

33.6

6,959.9

4.5

1.2

120.0

480.0

490.0

3.6

222.0

73.0

57.0

240.0

93.0

20.0

6.6

9.4

16.0

6.0

58.0

160.0

83.0

367.0

91.0

67.0

5.6

8.5

265.0

45.0

9.2

98.0

126.0

40.0

210.0

69.0

355.0

11.0

1,300.0

337.0

15.0

45.0

39.0

35.0

62.0

650.0

32.5

6,426.1

6.2

7.5

6.4

8.1

6.6

7.4

9.2

6.7

6.3

6.0

7.0

6.7

5.9

7.6

6.9

7.4

7.3

6.5

7.0

9.4

7.6

8.9

7.1

7.0

9.1

6.7

6.2

8.8

6.5

6.5

6.5

6.9

8.5

6.1

7.3

9.3

7.1

6.0

8.7

6.0

7.5

8.8

6.3

7.7

5.6

6.7

6.5

7.5

6.9

7.8

9.4

6.8

6.5

6.0

7.0

6.5

6.1

7.9

6.5

7.5

7.4

6.6

7.3

9.3

7.3

9.1

6.6

7.1

9.0

6.8

6.1

9.2

6.6

6.0

6.6

6.8

8.3

5.9

7.1

9.4

7.3

6.4

8.5

6.0

7.5

8.5

6.2

7.7

34

9

770

3,800

3,936

31

2,265

546

344

1,550

690

117

40

68

104

52

450

970

500

3,632

644

620

40

63

2,556

343

57

860

873

330

1,880

440

3,302

67

10,950

3,213

88

300

355

240

546

5,690

213

53,578

25

8

780

3,600

3,364

28

2,093

495

370

1,440

650

130

40

74

104

45

430

1,055

605

3,423

660

607

37

60

2,379

307

56

900

835

240

1,380

470

2,950

65

9,230

3,157

110

288

330

210

467

5,540

202

49,239 1 AR, DE, FL, GA, HI, MS, RI, and SC.
Wool and Mohair Agricultural Statistics Board

March 1999 4 NASS, USDA

Wool: Price and Value by State and United States, 1997-98

State Price per Pound Value 1

1997 1998 1997 1998

Dollars Dollars 1,000 Dollars 1,000 Dollars

AL

AK

AZ

CA

CO

CT

ID

IL

IN

IA

KS

KY

LA

ME

MD

MA

MI

MN

MO

MT

NE

NV

NH

NJ

NM

NY

NC

ND

OH

OK

OR

PA

SD

TN

TX

UT

VT

VA

WA

WV

WI

WY

Oth Sts 2

US

0.48

1.00

0.58

0.79

0.89

0.55

0.74

0.43

0.34

0.42

0.58

0.41

0.58

0.50

0.68

0.60

0.44

0.43

0.45

1.01

0.52

0.90

0.65

0.55

1.07

0.54

0.59

0.76

0.43

0.58

0.61

0.53

0.90

0.50

1.06

0.75

0.65

0.58

0.65

0.61

0.53

0.98

0.55

0.84

0.38

0.90

0.47

0.61

0.53

0.55

0.66

0.25

0.26

0.26

0.42

0.32

0.33

0.55

0.50

0.40

0.31

0.34

0.33

0.78

0.41

0.58

0.70

0.50

0.89

0.45

0.49

0.55

0.32

0.39

0.48

0.47

0.59

0.45

0.63

0.62

0.50

0.44

0.55

0.51

0.39

0.77

0.45

0.60

16

9

447

3,002

3,503

17

1,676

235

117

651

400

48

23

34

71

31

198

417

225

3,668

335

558

26

35

2,735

185

34

654

375

191

1,147

233

2,972

34

11,607

2,410

57

174

231

146

289

5,576

117

44,909

10

7

367

2,196

1,783

15

1,381

124

96

374

273

42

13

41

52

18

133

359

200

2,670

271

352

26

30

2,117

138

27

495

267

94

662

221

1,741

29

5,815

1,957

55

127

182

107

182

4,266

91

29,406 1 Production multiplied by marketing year average price. U.S. value is summation of State values. 2 AR, DE, FL, GA, MS, RI, SC.
Wool and Mohair Agricultural Statistics Board

March 1999 5 NASS, USDA
Wool and Mohair Agricultural Statistics Board

March 1999 6 NASS, USDA

Reliability of Wool and Mohair Production Estimates 

Survey Procedures: A random sample of U. S. producers was surveyed to provide data for the 

number of sheep shorn and production estimates. Survey procedures ensured that all sheep and goat

producers, regardless of size, had a chance to be included in the survey. Large producers were

sampled more heavily than small operations. Data were collected from about 14,500 operators

during the first half of January by mail, telephone, and face-to-face personal interviews.

Estimation Procedures: These sheep shorn, wool and mohair production estimates were prepared

by the Agricultural Statistics Board after reviewing recommendations and analysis submitted by each

State office. National and State survey data were reviewed for reasonableness with each other and

with estimates from past years.

Revision Policy: Revisions to previous estimates are made to improve the current estimate. 

Previous year estimates are subject to revision when current estimates are made. Inventory estimates

will also be reviewed after data from the Department of Agriculture’s five-year Census of

Agriculture are available. No revisions will be made after that date.

Reliability: Since all operations raising sheep and goats are not included in the sample for the

inventory and production estimates, survey data are subject to sampling variability. Survey results

for inventory and production estimates are also subject to non-sampling errors, such as omissions,

duplications, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. The effects of these

errors cannot be measured directly. They are minimized through rigid quality controls in the data

collection process and through a careful review of all reported data for consistency and

reasonableness.

To assist users in evaluating the reliability of the estimates in this report, the "Root Mean Square

Error" is shown for selected items in the table below. The "Root Mean Square Error" is a statistical

measure based on past performance and is computed using the differences between first and latest

estimates. The "Root Mean Square Error" for sheep shorn estimates over the past 10 years is 0.6

percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the

current estimate of 6.4 million head by more than 0.6 percent, or about 38,600 head. Chances are 9

out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 1.1 percent, or about 70,700 head (the 90 percent

confidence level).

Also shown in the table is a 10-year record showing the range between the first estimate and the

latest estimate. Using estimates for Sheep and Lambs Shorn as an example, changes between the first

inventory estimate and the latest estimate during the past 10 years have averaged 45,000 head,

ranging from 2 to 92,000 head. The initial inventory estimate of Sheep and Lambs Shorn has been

below the latest estimate 6 times and above 4 times in the last 10 years.
Wool and Mohair Agricultural Statistics Board

March 1999 7 NASS, USDA

Reliability of U.S. Sheep Shorn and Wool Production Estimates 1

Item

Root

Mean

Square

Error

90%

Confidence

Level

Difference Between

First and Latest

Estimates

Years

Average Smallest Largest

First

Above

Latest

First

Below

Latest

Percent Percent 1,000 Head 1,000 Head 1,000 Head 1,000 Head Number Number

Sheep

 Shorn 0.6 1.1 70.7 45.0 2.0 92.0 4 6

Percent Percent 1,000 Pounds 1,000 Pounds 1,000 Pounds 1,000 Pounds Number Number

Wool

 Prod 0.5 0.9 443.2 288.0 18.0 674.0 5 5

1 Based on data for the past ten years.
The next "Wool and Mohair" report will be released in March 2000.

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Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., 20250-9410, or call

202-720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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