25 Years On: Foot and Mouth

Twenty five years ago, foot and mouth disease brought rural Wales to a halt.

In this episode of Country Focus, Ifan Jones Evans looks back on the outbreak of 2001 — a crisis that closed the countryside, cancelled events, devastated livestock and left lasting emotional scars.

We revisit the fear as the disease spread from Essex to Anglesey and beyond. Journalist Rachael Garside recalls reporting on the crisis for S4C's Ffermio programme and speaks to Sennybridge farmer and Royal Welsh President Gethin Havard about how farming has changed — and endured.

We also turn to the science. Dr Don King of The Pirbright Institute explains how the global threat of foot and mouth remains, and what advances have been made since those dark months.

Twenty five years on — what have we learned, and are we better prepared?