Sheep farmers’ celebrations on hold as Covid lockdowns create shearer shortage
The state’s sheep farmers are rejoicing at a “nearly unheard of” third bumper growing season in a row, but there are fears there won’t be enough workers to shear all the prized wool.
Hobart & South
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THE weather gods are finally bringing hope to Midlands sheep farmers.
As shearing gets under way, farmers are celebrating great growth, plenty of wool and hopefully decent wool cheques to come.
“We’ve been waiting 30 years for this,” said Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association president Marcus McShane.
“It’s one out of the box.
“Most areas have had three good growing seasons in a row and that’s nearly unheard of.
“It’s just fantastic and fingers crossed we get a fourth good season.”
Mr McShane, who has about 5000 sheep, will begin shearing in a week or so and admits the only down side of a good wool crop is getting shearers.
“It’s becoming a bit difficult to get shearers and also shed hands to sweep the floors and help the wool classers,” he said.
“Covid doesn’t help because we are not getting any shearers from interstate because they can’t travel like they used to.
“I’m hoping to have four shearers if they all turn up.
“There’s been a lot of rain up North and that has held up some (shearing) teams.
“It’s quite hard work, but the reward is there.”
Karen Fish works on her parents’ property Mungala, near Oatlands, and is in the middle of shearing 2000 sheep.
She is also upbeat about the current situation.
“We’ve had some bad droughts but the rain in the past 12 months has turned it all around,” Ms Fish said.
“The weather has been great and it has picked the place up again.”
She too laments the loss of shearers.
Shearers generally work from 7.30am to 5pm and take rest breaks every two hours.
They are paid about $3.30 a sheep.
“It is getting harder to get them every year,” Ms Fish said. “It is very hard physical work and young people are just not interested, but every trade needs young people coming on don’t they?
“It can be hard for the shearers, as the day goes on they get more and more tired but the sheep aren’t getting tired.
“Shearers can get back problems, but we have a sling they can use to ease the pressure on their backs.
“It requires a real technique to keep the sheep still and not hurt them and get it done quickly because the machines are noisy and scary for the animals.
“You need very skilled and talented people.”
Both Mr McShane and Ms Fish are optimistic for good wool prices from their clip this year.
Mr McShane said prices were “coming back up”.
“When Covid hit, China and Europe shut down a bit but it is looking better now and fine wool prices are looking good too,” he said.
“We’ve had our ups and downs but there’s a positive outlook and agriculture is a good place to be.”
Ms Fish said the price for the clip last year was down because China was not buying and that brought prices down.
“Everyone needs wool – they say Australia rides on the sheep’s back, so we’ll be right,” she said.
Australian Workers Union Tasmanian assistant secretary Robert Flanagan said it was a problem for many farmers to get shearers.
“It is a problem for the industry going forward because if you don’t have shearers you don’t get the wool,” Mr Flanagan said. “The numbers have been trending down for decades because it’s hard work and the award rates are no longer adequate and the size of the sheep has doubled.
“The nature of shearing is very physical and arduous work.”
Mr Flanagan said some farmers were paying 50 per cent more than award rates.
“That recognises just how the job is,” he said.
Farmers shocked by slaughtered livestock
DERWENT Valley hobby farmers Robert and Tanya Hack woke to a horrifying and bloody scene on the morning of June 15 this year.
A dozen sheep had been slaughtered on their Lachlan property in a suspected dog attack, while six unborn lambs died with their mothers.
“If you could have been there that morning ... you can’t put it into words,’’ Mrs Hack said.
“Two of them were my pets. It’s just cruel.”
But more than six weeks later, they are still searching for answers despite a Derwent Valley Council investigation into the matter concluding.
They now have 30 sheep left, along with chooks, dogs and a cat.
And they are fearful it could happen again.
“It was a vicious and horrendous attack,” Mrs Hack said.
“I haven’t slept properly since it happened. We are worried they are going to come back.”
The Hacks have lived on the 10-acre property for 20 years, and this was just the third dog attack they had endured in that time.
They reported the most recent matter to police, who said it was up to council to investigate.
A council spokesman said the council was informed about the dog attack on June 16.
“It is understood that no-one observed the attack, but council was provided evidence of the injured animals by the owner,’’ the spokesman said.
“Council’s animal control officer monitored the area over the next week as we were informed by the public that some dogs were still seen roaming the area. No dogs were seen during this time.
“Another incident occurred several days later when a property owner observed two dogs chasing their sheep. A description of the dogs was then obtained.
“The owner of the dogs was then visited by the animal control officer who issued an infringement for the attack and for the dogs being at large.
“No evidence was able to be obtained to link the dogs to the initial incident.”
The council said investigations were concluded on June 25.
But the Hacks say they are not satisfied with the investigation.
“There’s no way this can be slipped under the carpet,’’ Mrs Hack said.
“In a rural area, there’s a lot of hobby farms, and once these dogs have had a taste of blood, they will keep killing.”
Mr Hack said he wanted to see the matter addressed.
“It seems like it’s been shoved under the table,’’ he said.
“It will happen again, and it’s driving me and the wife crazy.”
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