Countryside Agency chairman Ewan Cameron has visited North Yorkshire to discuss the impact of the foot-and-mouth crisis.
Mr Cameron met farmers, retailers and business people in Thirsk to discuss the impact of the disease in the area and what can be done to help with the recovery of the rural economy.
He said: "This was a chance to 'look and learn' and meet people on the street so to speak and hear what they had to say.
"We all love the countryside but this is a huge and difficult time and we have got to seriously capitalise on this, get it on the government agenda and forge a strong link between farming and the countryside.
"We have had some very good discussions and I shall be taking observations on what is necessary to recover the economy, to help tourism and the farming industry, directly back to government."
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