THE agricultural community has welcomed the decision to cancel the Manx Grand Prix owing to the threat of foot-and-mouth disease.
There are still concerns among farmers that it could spread to the Island as the epidemic in the UK continues.

Agriculture Minister Alex Downie said: ‘My view is that they [the Manx Motorcycle Club] have made the correct decision.’

He welcomed the fact the announcement had been made ‘earlier rather than later’ and said the club should be congratulated.

The committee was advised by the chief vet Eamon O’Donnell and also spoke to a number of farmers around the circuit.

Mr Downie added: ‘At this particular time we have to have regard for the views of the agricultural community.’

The MGP would have attracted fewer people than the race-free TT festivities last month, but Mr Downie said the festival was ‘a different kind of risk entirely’.

Mr Downie said another thing that had to be borne in mind was that the Island has recently received recognition of its disease-free status and is exporting more than 1,000 lambs a week to France.

The minister believes that under different circumstances there was a chance the MGP could have been run.

He added: ‘Had we seen a significant number of reductions in cases and if cases would have been confined to places such as Somerset or Dartmoor I think we would have been able to cope.

‘Unfortunately last week the cases had been in places such as Skipton and in Lancashire, which are right on our doorstep, and anybody coming to the Island for the races would in effect have to pass through a restricted area in the UK or an area where the disease is virulent.’

He said the department is trying its best to ensure other events, not on agricultural land, can go ahead and it has assisted in cycle week, the Island Games and motoring events.

A spokesman said: ‘The department had hoped that the foot-and-mouth epidemic in the UK would by now be under control, thus permitting relaxation of measures intended to as far as possible prevent an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease taking place in the Island.

‘Unfortunately the disease is still active in the UK, with fresh outbreaks occurring.

‘In these circumstances the department had little option other than to recommend that the race meeting should not take place as it considered the risk factors involved were significant.

‘In giving this advice the department has noted that a major rally event has recently been cancelled in the UK in pursuance of the policy of not holding motor sport events in the countryside at the present time.’

John Crellin, resident of the Manx National Farmers’ Union, said: ‘We are thankful that the Manx Motorcycle Club made the decision they did. It was the right one.’

He added it was ‘extremely disappointing’ for the tourist industry and the MMC but added: ‘I had a feeling they would make that decision. It is in the long-term interests of the sport as it maintains the goodwill of the farming community.’