Labour shortage hitting shearers in the South

Davis Shearing Contractors owner Jason Davis (left) and McConachie Shearing owner Jamie McConachie. Photo / SRL files - supplied

A shearer and woolhandler shortage is biting in the South as contractors brace for the spread of Covid-19.

McConachie Shearing owner Jamie McConachie, of Winton, said his season started in November and, although the weather had been "outstanding", he was more than a week behind schedule.

He had 45 shearers in his team and needed about 20 per cent more.

His team includes six international shearers - one from South Africa, one from France and the rest from the United Kingdom - after the New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association worked with the Government to secure spots in managed isolation.

He had also lined up four international woolhandlers to work for him this season, but the Government would not give them managed isolation spots.

A national woolhandler shortage would worsen as students returned to study.

The labour shortage meant existing staff had to work harder to bridge the shortfall.

"They are doing a fantastic job under some very trying conditions."

Normally, shearers and woolhandlers travel South for work after finishing the season in the North Island.

A staff shortage and wet weather had put gangs in the North Island about a fortnight behind schedule, delaying their arrival to the South this season.

"The southern shift hasn't happened as much as we would have liked."

The shearing season might need to be extended in the South but farmers wanted the work done before the rams were put out in April.

Another "looming" issue for the industry was Covid-19 spreading in the South during the busiest time of the year for shearers.

Shearers needing to stop work to meet Covid-19 protocols could present further delays.

Davis Shearing Contractors owner Jason Davis, of Balclutha, was also facing a staff shortage.

Davis said five of his former shearers had moved to Australia to work.

"I don't blame them - it's very, very good money... All the young boys who have a bit of nous about them - they're off - and they're making really good money and I don't blame them, I think it's absolutely brilliant they've done that but it's left us very short."

In November last year, Southern Rural Life reported shearers in Australia being offered up to $4.50 a sheep.

A shortage of woolhandlers was limiting the number of shearers he could take on.

"You're hamstrung by the amount of shedhands you can have."

Ideally, he would have more than 60 shearers and a similar number of woolhandlers.

He needed 20 more shearers and 20 more woolhandlers this season.

"For this time of the year we are running a very skeleton crew."

Despite the staff shortage, he was not working his team any more hours.

"You can't thrash your staff - it's not their fault no-one else is there."

He praised farmers for being understanding about the delays and telling him "see you when you arrive", knowing it was for reasons beyond his control.

"They know what is going on."

To try to minimise the impact of Covid-19 and keep his clients and staff safe, he had a plan for working in bubbles.

"To have a crew needing to shut down for 14 days at this time of the year would be an absolute nightmare for a shearing contractor because this is when we make all of our money for the year."