Research leads to calls for the government to help farmers with their mental health

According to the National Farmer Well-being report, close to 30 per cent of farmers have noticed a decline in their mental health.

Nearly half of have felt depressed and 64 per cent say they have been experiencing anxiety.

For one in seven, it's a frequent experience.

With limited access to mental health services, this has had the biggest impact on the state of farmers mental health over the past five years.

According to the report, the top three factors impacting farmer's mental health were weather or natural disasters, financial stress and inflation and cost pressures.

The report also found that 88 percent of Australian farmers have had their farming operation significantly impacted by natural disasters over the past five years, with an average cost of $1.4 million per farm.

When asked what was most emotionally taxing about the experience, more than half the farmers cited the financial burden, followed by the impact on animals and loss of stock, and the physical rebuild and recovery process.

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Michael Hampson, Norco Chief Executive Officer said that while the research findings are incredibly saddening, it was important to be able to understand just how pronounced the issue of mental health had become, especially in light of recent natural disasters.

"We saw first-hand the devastating impacts the unprecedented flooding event twelve months ago combined with the ongoing wet weather has had on our farmers, many of whom are still rebuilding physically, financially, and emotionally," he said.

"Overlay this with years of heavy drought, bushfires and now rising input costs across all farming sectors and it's unfortunately the reality that many farmers are doing it tough."

In the report farmers said they believed that rural and remote communities are forgotten about and left behind when it comes to public policies and services, with one in ten calling for more support and funding from the Government.

Mr Hampson said that it's devastating that such a high proportion of farmers don't feel that what they do is valued.

"Our farmers really are the backbone of this nation and work tirelessly to deliver essential goods to feed the Australian public, so it's clear that more work needs to be done to acknowledge this and plug the appreciation gap," he said.

"To help ensure our farmers feel valued, there's really no better place to start than by making sure that we, as Australians, choose Aussie farmer products over foreign companies and imported products.

"This is a simple, first step that Australian consumers can get behind. But beyond this, we also need to consider ways in which we can actively help address the issue of declining mental health within our farming communities."

But Mr Hampson also says that as a farmer-owned co-operative, Norco is taking a longer-term view on this issue.

"When it comes to the issue of mental health, we know that farmer-to-farmer support is key, as farmers in need are most likely to open up to a fellow farmer, or someone who understands firsthand the struggles they're experiencing," he said.

Findings from the report indicate that many farmers are suffering in silence with more than half not wanting to burden family or friends with their problems or are simply not comfortable discussing them.

For those who have experienced mental health challenges, close to one in five did not want to seek or receive help, while one in ten felt too embarrassed to do so. One in seven farmers also reported difficulty accessing suitable services in their community.

David Jochinke, National Farmers' Federation Vice President said that the data highlights a sense of shame and stigma that's still felt by many farmers when it comes to discussing their mental health, and urges Governments and industry representatives to step in.

"Farmers are built tough and can certainly endure a lot, but it's incredibly important that we work to normalise the issue of mental health and give our farmers both permission and a safe space to share their struggles," he said.

"But to do this effectively, we need to have the right resources and support mechanisms in place to adequately address their challenges.

"We're also calling on all levels of government to urgently assess the resourcing they provide to farming communities as it's clear their unique needs are not being met by existing services.

"We need dedicated resourcing to tackle farmers' mental health challenges, and that needs to come from each level of government with leadership from the Commonwealth."