Coronavirus restrictions wipe out field days, country shows

In unprecedented times, three of the state's agricultural field days - all due to be held in the next month - are among the impacted events.

It will be financially crippling for many businesses but also volunteer groups who depend on these events as fundraisers.

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On Friday night, less than a week out from the South East Field Days at Lucindale, the Lions Club and field day committee held an emergency meeting and voted to cancel the event, which attracts 22,000 people across the two days. At the time, all but one of the marquees were up and the 550 exhibitors had started to flow in from across Australia and even New Zealand.

SEFD secretary Lyn Crosby said the committee was devastated, especially for small businesses that depend on field days for their livelihoods.

"There is a whole section of our field day where they don't have a shop front or a web presence, their job is to have a stand at field days like these, this is their whole income," she said.

She said it would leave a big financial hole in the community too, with the field days unable to donate $100,000 to community groups. Volunteer groups who provide services such as car parking and catering will miss out on nearly $20,000.

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Lions Club president Peter Corrigan said the decision was not made lightly, recognising the huge implications for businesses, freight companies and accommodation, which was booked out in a 150-kilometre radius of Lucindale.

But, he said they had a duty of care to the community.

"Being a Lions Club we look after the community, the infirm, the sick, that's what we are as a Lions Club so the decision was really made for us even before the meeting," he said.

Mrs Crosby said the committee had contacted exhibitors as soon as possible by phone and email and they had been very understanding in the difficult times.

"It is a big let down for us too but our motto for 2021 is onwards and upwards," she said.

"Exhibitors bare with us- we will be back bigger than ever," SE Field Days chairman Trevor Martin added.

Kapunda Farm 4 x 4 Outdoor Expo (formerly Kapunda Farm Fair) scheduled for the following week is also off, with organiser Bill Adams equally devastated.

"We acknowledge what the government is doing and respect it but the situation is sad for all those concerned, from the exhibitors, those who would have attended and those who have put everything into it," he said.

The event normally attracts about 1500 people on the Friday and 2000 people on the Saturday but Mr Adams had been hoping for an even bigger crowd, weather permitting.

He said the program was shaping up well with a focus for the first time on four wheel drives and wonderful support from machinery and car dealers.

"Unfortunately there is nothing you and I can do about it, hopefully it helps to control this terrible virus," he said.

Next month's Karoonda Farm Fair is also cancelled.

Three of the state's country shows - Mount Pleasant, Maitland and Mount Barker - due to be held in the next fortnight have been cancelled for the first time since World War II.

SA Country Shows president Francis Andrews says it will have a major financial impact for them but the health and wellbeing of volunteers and patrons was the priority.

"These country shows are built around the community- it is a loss of income to the communities and a loss of patronage to their towns - really at the end of the day it is devastating," he said.

"Shows have a duty of care to protect the public and show societies are made up of a lot of people in their 60s and older which are the vulnerable group to the virus."

Mr Andrews urged the community to still pay their membership to their local show, which would still incur many expenses for the year.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is also off, the first time the event has been cancelled for a public health emergency since the Spanish flu epidemic in 1919.

At this stage there are no plans for the Royal Adelaide Show to be cancelled.

Royal Adelaide Show general manager Michelle Hocking said it was closely monitoring the advice from the World Health Organisation and the federal and state governments.

But, the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA wanted to inform all stakeholders that planning for the 2020 show, currently scheduled for September 4 to 13, continued.

"The Society looks forward to presenting the Spring Show and will continue communication in response to recommendations from the appropriate organisations regarding coronavirus," she said.