Sheep farmers are facing potential animal welfare issues as summer approaches with a shortage of shearers.
With a heavy reliance on foreign labour, the industry is calling on the government for border exemptions, and for farmers to get prepared.
“We are going to be really busy there was a lot of ewes not shorn in winter which will be full wool this year,” says shearing contractor, Brendan Mahoney.
With no foreign workers to rely on and the borders shut, Mr Mahoney has more to do this year.
“Probably a third of my workforce had been foreign the last two or three years,” he says.
Of the 27 million national flock, 70 per cent are shorn between October and April.
“Coming into this peak, the New Zealand wool sector it’s going to be a bit of a challenge,” says Philip Holden of the New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association.
With wool prices at record lows it's not about making money, it could come down to animal welfare issues such as overheating and the disease, flystrike.
“It can kill them in extreme situations but it’s a hell of a lot more work for farmers keeping an eye on them than treating the ones that do get struck,” says Jim Galloway of Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay.
It can take up to two years to train a shearer, so the New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association and Federated Farmers are asking for an exemption to bring in up to 200 skilled workers into the country.
“They would have to go through all the isolation procedures and that would and all those protocols would have to be complied with,” says Mr Holden.
The Immigration Minister told 1 NEWS he and officials are working on what options may be realistically available.
“We are going to have to be a bit more resourceful a bit more organised and be a bit more collaborative working with other contractors in the industry,” says Mr Mahoney.
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