Major clothing retailer boycotts Australian wool

The Australian Wool Growers Association says mulesing practices in Australia have improved
The Australian Wool Growers Association (AWGA) says it is surprised a major international clothing chain is boycotting Australian wool because of the practice of mulesing.
Swedish clothing retailer H&M, which has 1,500 stores worldwide, has issued a boycott of Australian wool because it says mulesing is not being phased out fast enough.
The practice involves cutting the skin from a sheep's rear to prevent flystrike.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) spokesman Jason Baker says the practice is cruel and alternatives exist.
"Really H&M will really just be the beginning of retailers who are frustrated, when they can go to any other country and get wool that's not mulesed," he said.
AWGA spokesman Martin Oppenheimer says the boycott is surprising and that mulesing practices in Australia have improved.
"We have pain relief that's being widely used in the Australian merino industry, so it's quite surprising that this sort of decision would be taken," he said.
"There's a lot of money and effort being put into finding alternatives."