Ballarat Show has been cancelled for the second year running because of COVID.

Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society met Wednesday night where, after much debate, the decision was made to cancel the 2021 event - adding it to a long and growing list of agricultural shows axed across the state.

BAPS executive officer Elizabeth van Beek said while the decision was disappointing, it was logical in the current climate with uncertainty over lockdowns and restrictions on gathering limits.

"We are really disappointed we can't do, it but logistically it's not possible. If we went in to lockdown, if in the middle of the show we got two hours notice of lockdown, just imagine the chaos."

The various committees of the BAPS will now work to see what competition can still go ahead, whether in person or online.

"We talked a lot about how can we still run something, number one for the farmers because they put a lot of work in to preparing their animals to bring to the show so what we are aiming to do, and all the committees will discuss it, is still have the animal side of things where farmers bring animals in for judging - and it will be just the exhibitors and judges.

"And we will still try and do arts and crafts, baking, photography and those competitions where the public normally bring in pieces to be judged - but it won't be open to public and we'll put together a collage or gallery of entries online."

There is also talk of having a cropping and hay competitions where judges go out to farms and judge the harvest.

But all would be dependent on COVID restrictions.

The cancellation of the second show in a row will also leave a hole of around $200,000 in the society's finances.

"It's a huge financial impact. The Spring Show is our main income earner for the year and it brings in a lot of money. We are still ok, we just have to be very careful with finances and what we doing over next little while," Ms van Beek said.

EARLIER

The future of the 2021 Ballarat Show is on a knife-edge as COVID forces the cancellation of agricultural shows across the state.

Already two of the state's biggest agricultural shows, next month's Royal Melbourne Show and October's Royal Geelong Show, have been axed as ongoing lockdowns and continued uncertainty about potential crowd numbers leave organisers up in the air.

Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society, who run the Ballarat Show, will meet on Wednesday night to decide the fate of the 2021 event.

BAPS executive officer Elizabeth van Beek said if the Ballarat Show did not go ahead the committee could look to still hold a "country fair" style event with the animal judging and arts, crafts and baking competitions which could go ahead without public attendance.

"There are quite a few (other shows) looking to hold something similar. I think we get the feeling, having gone in to lockdown again, that maybe we don't have the usual spring fair but if we cancel we could probably still have animals and arts and crafts competitions - with just judges and owners. Particularly with animals, owners have been preparing for months.

"If we could do something like a big country fair, where we didn't have the carnival and just had local entertainment and if a snap lockdown occurred we could cancel and not send us broke, that would be good but it's something we will discuss Wednesday night."

Any event would depend on lockdown or movement restrictions and COVID case numbers.

Cancellation of the 2021 Ballarat Show would be another blow to the society, who were also forced to axe the 2020 Ballarat Show because of COVID. It was the first time since World War II that the show was not held.

The cancellation of shows across regional Victoria have a big impact on communities, particularly in smaller towns, who rely on the show to bring crowds in from surrounding districts.

IN OTHER NEWS

"Show season" traditionally starts in September with the Royal Melbourne Show but it, and many other shows, have already been cancelled because of COVID uncertainty.

Agricultural shows at Nathalia, Swan Hill, Yarrawonga, Kerang, Warracknabeal, Sunbury, Corowa, Nhill, Geelong, Benalla, Numurkah, Maffra, Cobram, and Sale scheduled in October have been axed, as have shows in Colac and Kyneton scheduled for November.

It is believed the Bendigo Agricultural Society will also meet Wednesday night to consider the future of their show, due to be held in October about three weeks before the Ballarat Show which is scheduled for November 12 to 14.

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