''This, we believe, is a major culture change from MPI, accepting that how they are operating could be improved.
''This will lead to looking at how MPI are operating and where improvements could be made.''
''This is where you will hear from us that the communication is improving, MPI seem to be listening. This is a major change/improvement.''
Mr Barr thought the general behaviour and the positive engagement was a ''direct result of Ray Smith''.
But he understood it was just the beginning, and the effects still needed to happen on farm.
''Talk is cheap and now this change in attitude needs to correlate into actual action but at least this is how the change needed to start,'' he said.
''I think this communication issue will be ongoing and multi-faceted in as much as the extent of the problem is huge with individual departments dealing with each step of the eradication process.
'The whole response has so many areas to it that all the communication channels have become blurred, so even when things are done better it is hard to see,'' he said.
''As a farmer we see MPI as a whole, not as these individual departments, and it is bloody hard to get your head around how this 'beast' operates.''
The Facebook page, set up to help minimise stress caused to farmers going through the eradication process, had reached around 160 people but more were likely.
''It's going OK, obviously not much has happened in the last couple of weeks but that will change as we start up again this coming week ... about 160 people [are] following the page and interacting with people on the page.''
Mr Barr said speaking to individuals affected by the response, ''you realise just what a dog's breakfast it has become''.
He expected individual cases would be needed to show MPI where improvement was required and what caused farmers additional stress.
Central Rural Life
