NATIONAL Farmers Union bosses have slammed PETA on live TV for saying that wearing wool is “cruel”.
Animal rights activists have come out in force against the British wool industry in a desperate attempt to trick people into thinking that sheering is harmful to sheep.
But the claims have angered sheep farmers who work tirelessly in challenging economic times to provide the wool that is the envy of the world.
NFU livestock board chairman and sheep farmer Charles Sercombe was quick to oppose the inflammatory statement coming from animal rights activists. He said shearing sheep is essential for the animal’s welfare.
He stated: “I do it because it’s absolutely essential and necessary for the wellbeing of my sheep.”
“Our sheep are sheared in a much more sensible and humane way. It’s done by highly skilled professionals who we have year on year because of the quality of the job they carry out, the quality of the work they do and the way they treat and respect my sheep. It is absolutely essential we do that.”
Mr Sercombe added that it is important to sheer the sheep at least once a year.
He continued: “I think we shouldn’t delude ourselves, it’s not as though sheep were just dropping dead left and right before humans invented the sheep shearing process.”
Shearing should only be performed by experienced, competent farmers who received adequate training in shearing techniques, according to the UK government Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock.
The code also states extra care should be taken not to cut the skin of the sheep, which completely contradicts the recent PETA UK statement which claims that sheep are being “mutilated” and “abused.”
