Ending the programme could leave many farmers without enough skilled workers to shear their flocks, raising concerns about animal welfare and operational delays. The temporary visa route allowed up to 75 highly skilled shearers, primarily from Australia and New Zealand, to work in the UK each spring before returning home. The Home Office has said the sector should now transition to recruiting and training UK workers. A UK Government spokesman said: "Since 2021, over 4,000 people have been trained as sheep shearers as part of the sector’s efforts to develop skills and training. "We expect that continued training efforts will allow the domestic labour supply to cover the workforce required for future shearing seasons."