AHEAD of the Federal Budget to be handed down next week and the upcoming federal election, a coalition of more than 30 rural and health organisations is calling on the Federal Government to invest $50 million over five years to support mental health in the agricultural sector.

Norco CEO Michael Hampson.

Norco chief executive officer Michael Hampson said the National Farmer Wellbeing Report, that the co-operative launched with the National Farmers Federation in 2023, shone a spotlight on the severity of the issue of mental health in agriculture, and highlights why this funding is vital.

“We knew that farmer mental health was an important area of focus that needed much greater attention,” Mr Hampson said, adding that the data was “incredibly confronting”.

“The welfare of our farmers needs a whole-of-industry and government approach if they are to be addressed in a truly meaningful way.

The Norco co-operative’s members dairy in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, where Mr Hampson said natural disasters and debilitating weather events have added to the pressures on farmer wellbeing, who deserve better support.

“As an industry and as a nation, we simply owe it to our farmers.”

Other organisations endorsing the call for the $50M package are:

• Aerial Application Association Australia;
• AgForce;
• Australian Banana Growers;
• Australian Livestock Exporters Council;
• Australian Organic;
• Avocados Australia;
• Grain Producers SA;
• Canegrowers;
• Cattle Australia;
• Citrus Australia;
• CRT;
• Farmsafe Australia;
• Foundational Care;
• GrainGrowers;
• ifarmwell;
• Lifeline;
• National Central for Farmer Health;
• National Farmers Federation;
• Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association;
• NSW Farmers;
• Nutrien Ag Solutions;
• Plant a Seed for Safety;
• Primary Producers SA;
• Royal Flying Doctor Service;
• Rural Aid;
• Safe Farming;
• Syngenta;
• TasFarmers;
• University of Canberra;
• University of South Australia;
• Victorian Farmers’ Markets Association;
• Victorian Farmers Federation; and,
• WFI insurance.

Royal Flying Doctor Service Queensland section’s state manager mental health Tim Driscoll, also chair of the steering committee leading this initiative, said the statistics were sobering.

“A farmer dies by suicide every 10 days; that’s up to twice the rate of the general working population,” Dr Driscoll said.

“The wellbeing of people in agriculture is impacted by increasingly complex and compounding events like weather and natural disasters, financial stress, and geographic or social isolation.”

“Poor mental health and suicide is having a devastating impact on rural families, communities and businesses right now, and we need federal help to fix it.”

National Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said farming could be tough, and the right resources were needed to help them deal with the challenges thrown at them.

“A farmer’s greatest asset isn’t their land, livestock or produce, it’s their own wellbeing and
the wellbeing of the people around them,” Mr Jochinke said.

“It’s clear the unique mental health needs in agriculture are not being met by existing services and we need Government to give us a leg up so we can turn these devastating statistics around.”

Clinical psychologist and founder of ifarmwell Kate Gunn is based at the University of South Australia, and said it was crucial to invest now in the wellbeing of Australian farming communities.

“There is an urgent need for coordinated, farmer-friendly, evidence-based approaches to address this critical issue,” Dr Gunn said.

“As someone who has worked in the field of farmer wellbeing for more than 15 years, this is the closest we’ve been to finding a meaningful way to bring together farmers, industry bodies and other organisations to address farmer mental health.

“While the philanthropic sector has been generous to date, support from the Australian Government is crucial to quickly and impactfully reach farmers with evidence-based initiatives, on a national scale.”

The principles outlined in the Joint Statement emerged from the National Forum on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Agriculture in March 2024, and have been refined by a steering committee convened by the NFF.

To join the coalition and support mental health and wellbeing in agriculture, contact the National Farmers’ Federation: 02 6269 5666 or [email protected]

If you or anyone you know needs help:
• ifarmwell at https://ifarmwell.com.au/farmer-friendly-mental-health-resources
• Lifeline on 13 11 14
• Farmer Health Support Hub at https://farmerhealth.org.au/support-hub
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
• Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
• Headspace on 1800 650 890
• ReachOut at au.reachout.com
• MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
• Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774
• Head to Health at headtohealth.gov.au

Source: Norco