In March 2001, the British farming industry was battling to contain a widespread outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that was devastating the rural economy.
More than 2,000 cases of the disease were identified, leading to the slaughter of more than 10 million sheep and cattle. The outbreak not only threatened the livelihoods of farmers and their employees – it also brought havoc to the tourism industry, as swathes of the country were, in essence, closed to visitors.
As Prime Minister Tony Blair sought to combat the crisis, Simon travelled to North Wales with cameraman Denis Levkovich and producer Alastair Wanklyn. They produced this report for “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” on America’s PBS television network. It aired on March 30, 2001.
