United Kingdom-Shearing Time.

UNITED KINGDOM-SHEARING TIME.

THE UK has an adult sheep population of about 15 million, the vast majority of which need to be parted from their fleeces in early summer.

The wool may not be worth a lot in the economic downturn, but the welfare of those sheep would be seriously comprised by any impediment to the shearing season.

That appeared to be a possibility just a few weeks ago, when the Home Office tightened its rules regarding permits for seasonal workers entering the UK, affecting professonal shearers from New Zealand and Australia.

However, commonsense has prevailed and most of the usual band of Kiwis and Aussies will shortly arrive in the UK working their way north from Kent to Caithness.