A MAJOR coalition of rural and healthcare organisations has called for immediate action to address the mental health crisis in agriculture.

The coalition of about 30 organisations, including the Norco Co-operative, have released a joint statement to address the crisis disproportionally affecting people in agriculture.

Leading into the next federal election and budget, the coalition is calling on the Federal Government to make an immediate investment of $50 million over five years to address the crisis.

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

“We knew that farmer mental health was an important area of focus that needed much greater attention.

“However, the data that we uncovered was incredibly confronting and made it abundantly clear that the issues at hand across our country were much bigger than what Norco could solve for on its own,” Mr Hampson said.

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

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

Dr Tim Driscoll, the Royal Flying Doctor Service Queensland section’s state manager – mental health, and chair of the initiative’s steering committee said the statistics are sobering.

“A farmer dies by suicide every 10 days. That’s up to twice the rate of the general working population.

“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,” 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.”

National Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke said farming could be tough and there needed to be the right resources in place 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.

“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.”

Associate Professor Kate Gunn, a clinical psychologist and founder of ifarmwell, said it’s a crucial time to invest in the wellbeing of Australian farming communities.

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

ifarmwell  has also endorsed the joint statement for urgent action.

“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,” Assoc. Prof. Gunn said.

“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 National Farmers’ Federation.

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

Organisations not mentioned above and also 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;
• Lifeline;
• National Central for Farmer Health;
• Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association;
• NSW Farmers;
• Nutrien Ag Solutions;
• Plant a Seed for Safety;
• Primary Producers SA;
• Rural Aid;
• Safe Farming;
• Syngenta;
• TasFarmers;
• University of Canberra;
• University of South Australia;
• Victorian Farmers’ Markets Association;
• Victorian Farmers Federation; and,
• WFI insurance.

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