DATE=03/03/01

TYPE=Q&A

TITLE=HOOF AND MOUTH (Q&A)

NUMBER=2-2-273252

BYLINE=LAURIE KASSMAN

DATELINE=LONDON

INTERVIEWER=ELIZABETH ARROTT

INTERNET=

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The outbreak of hoof and mouth disease in Britain may have spread beyond its borders. Belgium says it is looking into a suspected case of the disease. Tests show the sickened animal so far has tested negative, but final results are not expected for a few days. Fear of the disease spreading has led to thousands of animals being slaughtered. VOA's Laurie Kassman is following the story from London and spoke with NewsNow's Elizabeth Arrott.

TEXT:

ARROTT: With the scare in Belgium, that seems to highlight that this really is becoming a European Union, with the opening of the markets, that this has brought up a whole new level of fear. Is that so?

KASSMAN: Because of the free movement of goods and people within the European Union - and certainly including animals and food products - the European neighbors of Britain, certainly, have taken immediate precautionary measures. They have instituted disinfectant foot baths and (been) disinfecting cars and vehicles coming in from Britain. They have banned the import of British animals and meat products. They've also canceled a lot of livestock - certainly inter-regional livestock - shows and markets to try to avoid the spread of the disease.

So far, there have only been one or two cases detected, and they're not sure whether it's a new strain, or whether it can actually be traced back to this one single farm in Northumberland, in Britain, where, so far, all the cases that have been reported in the British isles - Scotland, Ireland, and within England itself - have all been traced back to this single farm. Officials say that's the good news, because they can trace it back to still only one single source. If they can eradicate that. They may be clear.

ARROTT: That must be an unpopular farmer.

KASSMAN: Very unpopular. He had actually been inspected several times before, for an unclean farm and for some illegal practices. But, at this point, the most important priority for the officials is to try eradicate the virus.

ARROTT: Britain has had several problems with its meat in recent years, this just being the latest before swine fever, and, of course, mad cow. Has this brought up the idea of reconsidering British meat consumption?

KASSMAN: Actually, and ironically, meat consumption in the past year or so, has actually gone up in England, as confidence was restored in the sanitation practices and the health controls that were put into place concerning animal to market, animal slaughtering and the food production methods here. So, people were regaining confidence in the food production and food consumption. So there was actually a rise in the sale and consumption of meat products.

Of course, now, people are hesitating, and they're beginning to wonder what's left to eat. I think the sale of chickens and fish products have gone up enormously in the past week, or two weeks, since the outbreak of the hoof and mouth disease.

What's really bad for the British farm industry - agriculture industry - is they've been hit, as you've said, by the hoof and mouth disease, swine flu, mad cow (disease), an over-valued British currency compared to the rest of the European market and a slump in the sheep market, recently. So, British farmers are really suffering. In fact, more than 45-thousand went out of business in the past two years.

NEB/LK/EA/TDW