Thanks to the Covid pandemic, there will, sadly, be far fewer farmers dressed in tights and ladies underwear this year.

The annual Young Farmers concerts, due to be held towards the end of March at the Gaiety Theatre, have unfortunately had to be cancelled for this year.

Each year the four Young Farmers groups of Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central create their own 45-minute mad-cap show, featuring spectacular song-and-dance acts, comedy sketches, topical humour and general variety entertainment, complete with as many farmers as possible squeezed into ill-fitting bras and tottering about the stage in high heels.

However, the Isle of Man Federation of Young Farmers were unable to find a way to reschedule their dates after the lockdown closed the theatres and were faced with the tough decision after the island’s young farmers were unable to commit to performing and rehearsing the show as the summer progresses.

’We’re extremely disappointed that we won’t get to perform on the Gaiety stage this year,’ said Young Farmer’s federation secretary Bryony Kneale.

’However, we will be back bigger and better next year when it is safe to do so.’