The “time has come to elevate shearing’s sporting status to the ultimate world stage,” the New Zealand Federated Farmers said in a statement Monday, adding that the world’s top shearers were “athletes who take it to another level.”

While shearing is indeed a real sport, its chances of becoming an Olympic event — even a demonstration one — are probably next to nil.

The Olympic sports program is decided seven years in advance through a long and complicated process that includes strict criteria involving global participation by male and female athletes. For example, baseball and softball were cut from the Olympic program for 2012 and 2016 because they aren’t played in enough countries.

New Zealand produces some of the world’s best shearers and its national championship, the Golden Shears, receives substantial local media coverage. Other shearing countries include Ireland and Australia.

New Zealand will host the world shearing championships in March, and Federated Farmers Meat and Fiber chairwoman Jeannette Maxwell said it was an appropriate time for the sport to press for wider international recognition.

“One way would be to make shearing a demonstration sport at a Commonwealth Games, if not the Olympics itself,” she said.

Maxwell said New Zealand’s government sports funding agency Sparc recognized shearing as a sport and Australia had previously pressed for its inclusion in the Commonwealth Games.