Costly red tape will cause shearer shortage

Sheep farmers could find it more difficult and expensive to get flocks sheared after new government red tape trebled the cost of hiring shearers from abroad.

Robert Morris of the National Association of Agricultural Contractors warned that the bureaucracy could be so restrictive and costly it may mean some shearers don’t come at all.

“We could be in a critical situation if that happens,” Mr Morris said.

“The UK needs about 500 top-quality shearers from New Zealand and Australia to get the national flock sheared.

“These workers shear 400 a day between 1 May and the end of July. If that period is extended it causes management problems and increases the risk of fly strike.”

“It used to be £190 for a permit,” he explained. “But now the cost has trebled and the extra hoops that shearers have to jump through will mean, for many, that coming to the UK is not worth it.

“The contractor has to pay £300 for a sponsor’s licence. We also have to spend a lot of more time doing the extra paperwork. On top of that we pay £170 for a certificate for each person.

The shearer then has to go to the trouble of getting a biometric work pass that costs another £200 and can only be picked up at a dedicated centre in person.

That may not sound onerous but, in vast countries like Australia, that could be an insurmountable obstacle, Mr Morris said.

He called for a fast-track system to be introduced or sheep farmers would face an increase of about £10 for every 100 head sheared.