THE Three Counties Show will be back next year, organisers have announced, but they will not be ditching its emergency replacement.

The Three Counties Agricultural Society (TCAS) was forced to cancel the June show because of foot and mouth.

The date for next year's Three Counties Show will be June 14-16, with the Summer Show on August 10-11.

The smaller scale of the replacement show, coupled with the loss of bookings TCAS would normally have taken for the Three Counties Showground, meant the society suffered losses of around £100,000 this year.

TCAS chief executive Chris Milne admitted that one of the reasons for keeping the Summer Show was to boost income for next year.

"We don't know for sure that foot and mouth will have gone by then," he said.

"We don't even know how many people will be left in farming after the winter.

"Next year is about consolidation and survival.

"This year we could not afford to take on any seasonal staff and it put a tremendous strain on everyone else.

"We have had to freeze our capital investments programme and reduce as many costs as possible."

The new date for the Three Counties Show was agreed after concerns were raised by Shropshire and West Midlands Show organisers that the events would clash.

Uncertainty remains as to whether there will be any livestock at next year's event. To compensate, TCAS is planning to enhance the countryside section of next year's show with a Game Fair.

"Like everyone else in the rural community, we're looking at ways of limiting the damage caused by the crisis in farming and diversification is quite simply the way forward," said Mr Milne.