Time to tackle farming's tragic 'hidden problem'

Suicides up amid pressures

- BY CIARAN MCGRATH

FARMERS struggling with stress and isolation have lower wellbeing than the UK average, campaigners warn.

A tragic 47 people in farming and agriculture took their own lives in 2024, a 7% increase from 2022.

Now the Farm Safety Foundation is seeking to shine a light on what it calls the sector’s “biggest hidden problem” as it launches its ninth annual Mind Your Head campaign.

Stephanie Berkeley, of the Farm Safety Foundation, said the problems began long before the Family Farm Tax row, but that each new upset could tip everyday stress into unmanageable pressure.

She said: “Mental wellbeing and, unfortunately, suicides, are something the industry has always faced.”