The NFU is using the focus of this year’s Mind Your Head Week – organised by charity The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) – to remind everyone of the growing pressures facing farmers and the toll they take on mental health.
Farming is a rewarding but demanding profession, with long hours, financial uncertainty and ever-changing challenges, so it is no surprise that almost a quarter of farmers say their mental health has changed in recent years. With so much uncertainty at the moment, this has never been truer. Nearly all young farmers are particularly aware of the challenge, with 94% recognising poor mental health as one of the most significant hidden issues in agriculture.
At the same time, public support for farming is stronger than ever. Farming is one of the UK’s most valued professions and the public overwhelmingly agrees that farmers shouldn’t have to sacrifice their mental health to produce food and look after the environment.
The NFU is encouraging its members to take a step back where possible and check in with those around them, with a number of charities such as the Farming Community Network (FCN) or the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) providing confidential advice and services tailored to those working in agriculture.
NFU Deputy President David Exwood said: “Farmers are incredibly resilient, but that doesn’t mean we should have to face these challenges alone. We know how isolating this job can be, and we also know how important it is to talk.
“Farming is an incredibly rewarding way of life – we produce food for the nation, care for the countryside and work in a sector built on community and shared experience. Mind Your Head Week is an important reminder to stop and look out for ourselves and each other.
“Taking a short break, checking in with a friend or simply talking to someone can make all the difference.”
