Entries for this year's Ag Show closed yesterday but at this point the Government is undecided about how to handle the show given the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak still spreading across the globe.

The show, which is one of the Island's most popular events, runs from April 19 through 21 but presently it is an open question whether the UK and other countries fighting FMD will be able to stem its spread by that time.

Agriculture and Fisheries Director John Barnes told The Royal Gazette yesterday that the department is waiting until it sifts through all the entries before it makes any decisions.

"We don't know what we'll have in the way of cattle and goat entries yet,'' he said.

Mr. Barnes said there will be "a bit of a risk'' if cloven-footed animals affected by the disease are included in the show given the massive crowds which pour through the popular exhibition.

With FMD so easily spread -- by air or carried on hands or clothing -- drawing thousands of people into contact with susceptible animals can highly increase chances of infection.

However, Mr. Barnes said that cattle only make up roughly ten percent of the show and he pointed out that horses are not affected. Similarly the plant and flower sections of the show will not be affected.

But MP and dairy farm owner Michael Dunkley said that to include susceptible animals in the show posed too great a risk.

"With the crowds that go down there, it doesn't make any sense to take a chance like that,'' he said.

And farmer Harry Kromer told The Royal Gazette that he definitely won't be bringing any of his Holstein cows to the show this year.

"There's so many tourists walking through,'' he said. "They could be from England or Europe and it's just too risky. I try to keep them away from the public.'' Currently the Government is trying to stop people from going to local farms and have advised farmers to be on the lookout for strangers approaching their livestock.

"Bermuda's dairy farmers have been advised not to allow visitors onto their farms and signs have been posted by Agriculture and Fisheries to deter visitors,'' Environment Minister Terry Lister told Parliament yesterday.

But Mr. Barnes said he didn't think that keeping the option of having susceptible animals in the Ag Show was sending a mixed message to the public.

He said the department is considering different ways of minimising the threat.

"One thing that might be done is to bring the animals to the show, have them there for the show, but them keep them there for several days afterwards and possible even test them,'' he said.

And Mr. Barnes said that while the event is popular it had not traditionally attracted a lot of tourists.

"They've always been foot-and-mouth disease somewhere,'' he said, so the risk from tourists has always existed to an extent. "Two years ago, someone might have come from South Africa and spread it.'' But farmer Harry Kromer for one, isn't going to take any chances. Every precaution should be taken, he said. "It's frightening because this is something I've never seen before in my day and I'm 74 years old.'' Too risky: Shadow Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley