Seasonal sheep shearers get 'final' visa reprieve
BBCSheep shearers from overseas will be allowed to work in the UK for one "final" year after the government agreed to extend a long-running visa concession.
The scheme, which allows highly skilled shearers to come to the country during the shearing season, has been in place for a number of years.
Last year, six shearers from New Zealand spent three months in Coquetdale in Northumberland, shearing nearly 90,000 sheep across farms from the Scottish Borders to County Durham.
In January, the Home Office said it would end the scheme, prompting Northumberland MPs to raise concerns about a workforce shortage, but has now confirmed it will be extended for one more year.
Labour MPs Joe Morris and David Smith, who represent the Hexham and North Northumberland constituencies, welcomed news of the extension and thanked farmers for raising the issue.
In a joint statement, they said: "We know how important these shearers are for local farms and we've been speaking with the government about the visa scheme since the first announcement.
"After we raised this with the Home Office we're very pleased that the government has listened and continued the scheme for one more year."
'Fully sustained workforce'
Ensuring sheep are shorn on time is vital for animal welfare, helping to prevent heat stress and insect-related problems.
The Home Office said the scheme would be extended but added the industry must move towards a "fully sustained" UK workforce.
A spokesman said: "The sector has been supported for 14 years to enable it to train up British workers, reduce reliance on migrant labour, and provide a fully sustained workforce within the UK.
"A final extension has been provided to the sector. We now expect the sector to complete its transition to using domestic labour."
Rothbury councillor Steven Bridgett, who wrote to the MPs about the concession, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he was "pleased" the government had withdrawn its plans for the coming year.
