Farmers mental health four-year low as 47 take own lives in year | Politics | News
Mental health at four-year low for farmers (Image: Getty)
Farmers’ mental health is at its lowest level in four years as shocking figures reveal 47 people working in the sector took their own lives in a single year. The devastating toll, a 7% increase from 2022, has prompted a charity to launch an urgent suicide prevention campaign this week
Research shows that mental health for British farmers has fallen behind the rest of the country with those over 40-years-old hitting a four year low. And the wellbeing of farmers more than 61 years of age has seen the biggest fall.
Victoria Atkins, the Conservative Shadow Environment Secretary, told the Express: “Farming is not a job, it is a way of life – there is no such thing as a four-day week or sick leave in farming. Farmers have been put under enormous pressure by the bad decisions of this Labour Government – from the vindictive family farm tax, to the overnight closure of farming payments, to mindless and costly red tape.
She added: “This government has refused to listen to the warnings or apologise for their mistakes.”
Ms Atkins said: “In the last year, many people in rural communities have shared their stories with me, including those who, tragically, have lost loved ones through suicide. These are heartbreaking stories and we must spread the message that people are not alone and there is help available. We Conservatives are proud to support the Yellow Wellies Mind Your Head campaign.”
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Stephanie Berkeley, Manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said: “While agriculture in the UK benefits from rural support groups and charities who deliver vital, high-quality support, a critical gap remains: there is still very little suicide prevention training tailored specifically for those working in agriculture.”
In 2024 some 47 people working in the agriculture sector took their own lives.
Ms Berkeley added: “Farming brings a unique set of pressures – long hours, isolation, financial uncertainty, generational expectations and physical risk. Conversations about suicide in rural communities require approaches that are real, relatable and rooted in lived experience.”
The charity’s Mind Your Head campaign, running from February 9-13, will focus on tackling what many now recognise as the industry’s “biggest hidden problem.”
Ms Berkeley said: “Farming is tough. Long hours, hard graft and a mindset that says ‘just get on with it.’ That grit is admirable – but it is also why some farmers leave it too late to ask for help.”
She added: “Too many farming families are quietly carrying the weight of crisis and loss. The message this year is simple: learn the steps, start conversations earlier and look out for each other. When communities know what to say and what to do, lives can be saved.”
The crisis has deepened since Labour’s autumn Budget announced the Family Farm Tax, which will hit farms worth more than £1million with a 20% inheritance tax from April 2026.
Farmers have warned the policy will force families to sell land to pay tax bills, breaking up farms passed down through generations.
Campaign launched to prevent farmer suicides (Image: Getty)
Tens of thousands descended on Westminster late last year to protest against the tax, with many warning it would push already struggling farmers to breaking point.
The Daily Express launched a campaign to stop the Family Farm Tax, and is calling for the tax to be abolished.
During the campaign week, the charity will launch a new suicide awareness and prevention eLearning module, funded by The Royal Foundation and developed specifically for farming audiences.
The training will equip people to recognise warning signs, use supportive language and create safety plans, with clear signposting to specialist help available in the sector.
The moves follow a recent event which saw leading farming support charities attended by the Prince of Wales.
Karen Hodgson, Associate Director at The Royal Foundation, said: “We are proud to support this project. It is great to see collaboration in action, bringing innovative approaches to suicide prevention and reaching communities that need it most.”
A Defra spokesperson said: “Farmers are at the heart of our food security and environmental stewardship. Their mental health and wellbeing matters, and we want to ensure they can access support when they need it.”
The Government has funded the Farmer Welfare Grant, providing £500,000 to support projects that improve the mental health and wellbeing of farmers in England.
If you are struggling with your mental health, you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
