Clare Barber was defending the decision by her department after suddenly announcing the festival, which has been held for 15 years, was being cancelled.
The popular event was due to take place over the weekend of September 14 and 15 in the Villa Marina Gardens.
However, Mrs Barber says there needs to be more opportunities for local producers throughout the year rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach and says the only way to bring it back would be to hold it indoors.
In response to a question from Arbory, Castletown, and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse Tuesday’s House of Keys sitting she said: ‘Feedback has shown the festival falls short of the mark and does not work for everyone.
‘This approach has been a one size fits all which is good for some businesses but doesn’t help others. We need focus on the right areas so it benefits in the long-term and not just the short-term.
She also said the festival, which costs the taxpayer nearly £85,000 to hold (although it benefitted the economy by more than £300,000), nearly had to be cancelled over the last two years due to the Queen’s death and then bad weather.
Mrs Barber also says alternative options were considered before announcing the event would be cancelled and says this was why the decision was made so late in the day.
In an email DEFA sent to local producers, it said it had ‘become evident through analysis and feedback’ there were other opportunities to enhance the promotion and support of locally produced food.
It said that for this year, the allocated festival budget will now be redirected to ‘further bolster’ the food and drink sector through a number of initiative which it said would aim for a ’more significant impact’.
DEFA said the department would have an increased presence at the Southern Agricultural Show on July 27 and 28 and at the Royal Manx Agricultural Show on August 9 and 10.
It said it is also organising a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event provisionally scheduled for September 23 which it said will provide food businesses with the opportunity to showcase their products to both local and off-island food buyers.
But Mrs Barber has not ruled out holding the festival once again but it would need one major change.
She said: ‘We could hold the festival again if we can provide a venue that’s indoors which is guaranteed to proceed and it not affected by the weather.’
Local food producers expressed their dismay at the shock cancellation
Nina Cooper, of Chocolates of Man, told Isle of Man Today on Monday that local producers she had spoken to were ‘unhappy, very upset and disappointed’ by the decision to cancel the event and insisted there had been no consultation.
She said: ‘I’ve lost a minimum of £3,000 of sales. I make between £3,000 and £5,000 at the festival.
‘It’s our biggest hit along with Christmas and Easter. It’s been going 15 years - why break something that’s not broken?’
Nina said applications forms are normally sent out in April and when she didn’t receive one she emailed the organisers asking why. She was told it was still in planning.
She said producers will have already started buying stock including ingredients and packaging.