Shearers struggle for work as wool production hits century-low do sex

Shearers struggle for work as wool production hits century-low do sex sex to

May, 08 2025 22:38 PM
Drought impacts South Australia's wool industry, leaving shearers without workBy Elsie Adamo and Selina GreenABC RuralTopic:Wool Growing48m ago48 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 9:50pmShearers can make good money if they can find work. (ABC Rural: Fiona Breen)In short:A drop in Australian wool production is forcing skilled shearers to seek work interstate, overseas or leave the industry entirely.Prolonged drought conditions and increasing production costs are compelling farmers to reduce their flocks.What's next?Industry veterans remain cautiously optimistic the wool industry can recover quickly when good rain returns.abc.net.au/news/drought-impacting-wool-industry-shearing-workforce/105267254Link copiedShareShare articleShearers are struggling to find work as Australian wool production falls to its lowest in more than a century.Steep falls in wool production and sheep numbers in drought-affected South Australia have forced shearers to look interstate and overseas for work or consider leaving the industry.The wool industry has fallen on hard times in recent years. (ABC Rural: Selina Green)Naracoorte farmer Paul Oster said he had seen the wool industry from many angles as a grower, shearer, trainer and shearing contractor, and the drought and increasing costs were affecting all involved."It has a rippling effect through everyone's business livelihood, their family livelihood, community livelihood … it's of great concern," Mr Oster said.Mr Oster is worried good workers are turning away from the industry due to the lack of opportunities.Most people in the wool industry are confident production will bounce back. (ABC News: Floss Adams)He said well-organised shearers could once keep themselves busy enough through the year to make ends meet, but options had become limited."We have such a high-performing level of staff right now that are unfortunately questioning, 'Where is our future?'" Mr Oster said."I never thought I would actually say your best option could possibly be Centrelink through this quiet time."Shearing Contractors' Association of Australia shearer woolhandler training executive officer Glenn Haynes was also concerned."I honestly think we are going to lose around 20 per cent of our workforce in South Australia," he said.National problemMr Haynes said he was putting on extra training sessions in 2023 to help fill a shortage of workers in the industry. He said the shortage had since turned into an excess.Glenn Haynes (left) has worked in the wool industry for three decades. (Supplied: Glenn Haynes)"I've never had so many people ringing me looking for work," Mr Haynes said."We've still got a lot of young people wanting to get into the industry … but it's having a job on the other end of it."While those looking for work would usually go interstate, he said the opportunities were not there either.Wool quality has also been impacted by drought conditions. (ABC South East SA: Liz Rymill)"The trouble is you have the majority of Victoria in a similar situation and a lot of NSW in the same situation, and then the floods in Queensland, and Tasmania is just full," Mr Haynes said."WA's sheep numbers have dropped dramatically over the last 12 months … so we have a lot of Western Australians ringing looking for work as well."There's a lot of guys and girls out there that are just … going to have to travel [overseas for work] this year."The Australian Wool Forecasting Committee expects the nation's wool production to decline almost 12 per cent this year compared to last.It has forecast a further 8.4 per cent drop in the coming financial year.The estimated wool production for 2025-26 is 256.6 million kilograms, which would be the lowest recorded level since the early 1900s.In SA and WA, this year's clip is forecast to fall 18.4 per cent.Drought impacts SA woolAustralian Wool Network SA manager Rod Miller said many producers had reduced their flock due to the ongoing drought.Rod Miller says the cost of managing drought conditions is impacting farmers. (Supplied: AWN)"The excessive, long feeding cost is the proverbial straw breaking this camel's back," Mr Miller said."The drought will finish one day, but we're going into the second year now and if you're feeding out sheep over 14 months continually, it's a real Groundhog Day for a lot of these producers."With higher input costs and include shearing as well, and the feed costs, it's just soaking up all the profit margin and taking a lot of the fun out of it."Mr Miller said SA was feeding an oversupply of drought-affected wool into a market of low global demand.Growers determined to hang inWhile people in the wool industry agree times are dire, those who have stuck with it believed it could bounce back once rain returns.What's wrong with our weather charts this year?Photo shows A clear blue sky over paddocks in Auburn, SAAs South Australia and Victoria continue to face drought and unseasonable heat, there has been a notable absence of major rain systems. So, what's going on?Sandy Martin, who operates Baratta Station in SA's mid-north, said he had ridden the ups and downs of the sheep industry for the past 45 years."In the last 10 years, we've had three years of drought, two years of COVID, two years of low commodity prices, and we're still in business," he said."Actually, we've had a lovely year at Baratta and our sheep and wool production has been above-average, and our farming country at Jamestown is just hanging in there."If we get rain, we'll get back on track pretty quickly."If it all comes together, it's a bloody beautiful industry — I couldn't think of anything better."ABC Rural RoundUp newsletterStories from farms and country towns across Australia, delivered each Friday.Your information is being handled in accordance with the ABC Privacy Collection Statement.Email addressSubscribePosted 48m ago48 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 9:50pmShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesAmerican Robert Prevost elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIVLIVEPhoto shows A man in religious robes looks down from a balconyPrice defection slammed as hostile Liberal takeover with Angus TaylorTopic:Political LeadershipPhoto shows Federal shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Price standing and speaking outside a voting centre.Drained batteries and broken trust: Energy giant denounced over clean tech schemeTopic:Energy IndustryPhoto shows Man wearing baseball cap and khaki green t-shirt standing next to household Tesla batteryUS and UK strike deal as Trump slashes tariffs on British steel, carsTopic:TariffsPhoto shows Keir Starmer and Donald Trump shake hands and make eye contact Meeting with hate preacher triggers court order for notorious terror leaderTopic:ExtremismPhoto shows image of convicted terrorist Abdul BenbrikaRelated storiesWhich politicians are wearing Aussie wool as industry pleads for help?Topic:FashionPhoto shows A composite photo showing two women and a man, with a sheep in front of them13yo Charlie began shearing at five and can now fleece 150 sheep a dayTopic:Sheep FarmingPhoto shows A boy holds a sheep by the head while in a shearing shedAustralian wool production forecast to hit 100-year lowTopic:Wool GrowingPhoto shows A pen full of merino sheep with one looking directly at the camera. Related topicsAdelaideDroughtsLabour MarketMount GambierNaracoorteSheep FarmingWool GrowingTop StoriesAmerican Robert Prevost elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIVTopic:Religious LeadersPhoto shows A man in religious robes looks down from a balconyPrice defection slammed as hostile Liberal takeover with Angus TaylorTopic:Political LeadershipDrained batteries and broken trust: Energy giant denounced over clean tech schemeTopic:Energy IndustryUS and UK strike deal as Trump slashes tariffs on British steel, carsTopic:TariffsMeeting with hate preacher triggers court order for notorious terror leaderTopic:ExtremismJust InIconic fishing competition draws anglers to the NT's remote Daly RiverTopic:Recreational Fishing6m ago6 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 10:32pmMurder charge laid after woman stabbed in Adelaide's northTopic:Homicide27m ago27 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 10:11pmIndia says military stations were attacked by Pakistani drones and missilesTopic:Unrest, Conflict and War38m ago38 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 10:00pmShearers struggle for work as wool production hits century-lowTopic:Wool Growing48m ago48 minutes agoThu 8 May 2025 at 9:50pmMore Just InBack to top
..