More farmers seek mental health help, charity says

A growing number of farmers in Kent are seeking support for their mental health, a representative from the Farming Community Network (FCN) says.

New figures from the FCN, a charity which supports those within the farming community, show that wellbeing in the industry has fallen to its lowest level in four years.

Hugh Richards has been going to Ashford Farmers' Market every Tuesday for eight years, wearing his FCN jacket and making himself available to talk.

He says attitudes among farmers to mental health are slowly changing.

Speaking to Politics South East, he said: "Within the past year I've been approached directly by people asking for help. That takes guts to come up and say 'I want to talk'."

Richards believes isolation plays a significant role, with many farmers working alone for long hours, often in tractor cabs or with livestock, and who may not be used to opening up.

The decline of traditional rural meeting places, such as village pubs and local shops, has also reduced opportunities for social connection.

New research from the Farm Safety Foundation shows farmers' mental health is at its worst in four years, with those aged over 61 seeing the sharpest decline.

Official figures for last year are yet to be released, but in 2024, 47 people working in farming in England and Wales died by suicide – a 7% rise in two years.

Steve and Roy Glover, who have a farm near Dartford, say what was once a pleasure has become mounting pressure.

Alongside long hours, they face rising costs, extreme weather, labour shortages, competition from imports and increasing bureaucracy.

"If it was any other industry it would be catastrophic," says Steve Glover.

His father Roy Glover, 84, added: "I've never seen a worse time in farming."

Both say greater understanding from policymakers and more open conversations are vital to stop farmers struggling in silence.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said farmers were "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," they added.

"We know that farmers and rural communities face real pressures, and we continue to listen to their concerns so that we can better respond to the difficulties they face."

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