But with the Australian dollar continuing to slip against the greenback, finishing at US86.52c at the close of trading on Monday, and the western indicator hovering just above 700c/kg 12 months ago, growers have something to smile about.

Broomehill fine woolgrower Richard Batchelor visited Perth last week to see the sale of his family's Wellsbourne Farm clip through Westcoast Wools.

The consignment consisted of 10 bales of prem-wool that tested 18.9 micron, 63.2 per cent yield, 0.8 VM, 59 SL and 57 NKT and later sold at 660c p/kg; 21 bales averaging 17.5 micron, 62.5 yield, 1.5 VM, 91 SL, 33 NKT and 73 mid break making 780c/kg and eight bales of 17 micron, 62.3 SL, 1.6 VM, 89 SL and 19 NKT sold at 735c/kg.

The Batchelor family runs 1800 mixed aged Merino ewes and another 1600 hoggets based on AMS bloodlines since the inception of AMS.

They shear in January with the hoggets also shorn in July as prems to get them in line with the main January shearing.

Wethers are prem-shorn and offloaded at 15 months to a southern grazier who runs them through to three-year-olds and then sells them to exporters.

Unlike many growers around the country, the Batchelor family retained their sheep numbers through the wool market slumps and unfavorable seasonal conditions.

Richard said it wouldn't take much of a surge in wool prices for them to consider bumping up their numbers but despite the dramatically improved market, he doesn't want to look too far ahead.

"If we could get between 780c/kg and 800c/kg greasy average for fleeces, bellies and pieces, we would be happy," Mr Batchelor said.

"There is a shortage of Merino wool but buyers aren't paying for it and with a large part of the world still in recession, who knows what's going to happen.

"In our farming situation, sheep are a viable option, not only for the commodities, but beneficial for things such as weed control."

Westcoast Wools export, private and auction sales representative John Kirkpatrick said the Wellsbourne Farm clip presented well and showed excellent strength for the micron range.

He said this type of wool was increasing in demand from overseas markets.