More farmers than ever have called him with 80 per cent of calls from local people but other calls from across the country. Morale is very low, and it's going to get lower.
Many farmers are up to the limit on their overdrafts.
For many of them the long-term future in farming is bleak, and for those who are older, the situation is worse as their options are extremely limited. As a farmer himself, and his father before him, he feels that he can understand first hand the 'problems and joys that country life brings'. I feel a concern for those who are suffering so much as a result of what is happening in the countryside at present. Over the last three weeks most of Keith's contact with farmers has been over the phone to ensure he poses no threat to spreading the disease to farms in the area. He also networks with other agencies that can offer help and advice.