ONE more county agricultural show will not run this year due to 'uncertainties' over coronavirus restrictions.

Organisers of the popular traditional Penrith Agricultural Show, due to be held on July 17, say they have been forced to cancel because current Government coronavirus guidelines would mean the show would not be 'financially viable'.

A spokesperson said: "With heavy hearts the Trustees of Penrith Agricultural Society have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Penrith Show.

"Planning should have started for this year’s Show back in October. Since then there has been much discussion, over a number of meetings, as how to run a COVID compliant Penrith Show. We have tried our best, but we can only make decisions based on current guidelines and these would not be financially viable for our Show.

Agricultural Shows like Penrith are not the huge profit making machines like some would think, but breaking even is preferable to a loss. We always take a risk with the Cumbrian Weather, which has been unkind in the last few years, but to take such a risk in a pandemic is a step too far."

Instead, show organisers will host an Arable Competition as usual in 2021, saying they would save their resources to fund a 'full and exciting' Penrith Show on July 16 2022.

The Cumbrian show calendar will be without at least another two of its giants this year because of Covid.

Organisers of both the Cumberland and Skelton shows have come to the reluctant but perhaps inevitable conclusion that they can’t go ahead with their usual format.

In a statement, the Cumberland committee said that, even with the Government’s proposed easing of restrictions, it would not be possible to hold the show as planned in June 12. However, they haven’t ruled out all hope of staging some kind of event later in the year, depending on the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.

The Skelton committee reached their decision to cancel their show following their Annual General Meeting, which was held online for the first time in the show’s history.

After a great deal of debate, they too decided it just wouldn’t be feasible to go ahead with normal plans because the lockdown roadmap states that further work is still needed on how to safely hold outdoor events – and there would be a possibility of mass testing needed on entry to the showground.

“Taking on board the ongoing uncertainty and risk of delays to the end of the restriction period, and with time now critical for all the organisational preparations to make the show happen, the timing and odds were stacked against us,” the committee said.