At Tuesday's opening auctions in Melbourne prices were 10 to 25 cents a kilogram lower depending on micron type, while in Fremantle today the limited range fell by between 11c and 57c/kg.

With global economic concerns still hanging over the industry and weighing on retail demand, auction rooms at early wool sales did not have the enthusiastic bids woolgrowers may have been unrealistically hoping for.

The Australian dollar was trading around US 68 cents when sales opened, a cent or so lower than the exchange rate three weeks ago when sales for 2008 wrapped up.

The Australian Wool Exchange market report quoted the southern indicator down 11 cents for Tuesday to 729c/kg (clean) as 16pc of the 7000 bale offering was passed in.

However, it bounced back today to be standing at 738c/kg this afternoon.

The northern indicator fared better in the opening sales of 2009 in Sydney today, falling just 6c/kg to now stand at 786c/kg.

But in Fremantle the western indicator fell 20c/kg today to finish at 713c/kg.

In both Sydney and Perth it was the 19-23 micron range which fared the worst, with the 19m indicator in Fremantle falling 57c/kg to 909c/kg, while in Sydney the 23m indicator lost 22ckg to 702c/kg.

About 50,000 bales were expected to be offered across the three centres this week, with 68,000 due for sale next week.