He says the industry is anything but on its knees, but admits fixing the many troubles the wool industry has is nothing compared to overcoming its bitter and personal politics.

Mr van Rooyen said if he was to only achieve one thing it would be to pull wool's bitterly divided factions together to work together for wool's common good.

"It sickens and frustrates me that we have such a great fibre and so much potential and this industry just pulls itself apart so badly," he said.

"We should be celebrating opportunities and yes, we have spent a lot of money and some mulesing options have failed, but we are making headway as well and it needs to be recognised."

In a bid to curb the division he has asked the various AWI board members to stop speaking to the media on behalf of AWI.

Only the CEO Craig Welsh or himself or a delegated staff member will be allowed to speak to the media on behalf of AWI in the future.

Much of this division has surrounded mulesing and the AWI developed breech clips.

"I can tell you that for some regions and some types of sheep the clips work very well and to say the clips don't work is just wrong," he said.

"Between the clips, management techniques and genetic selection there are answers already and there will be more to come, believe me.

"32pc of lambs born this year will not be mulesed and many growers have stopped mulesing already."