“There is no question that some will have quite significant financial worries,” says Matt. “It is taking so long for all the details of the new schemes to come out and farmers are having to make important decisions for the future of their businesses without having that full information. The transition has created yet another stressor. See also: How two dairy farms achieved a better work-life balanceĮven before the changes to farm support policies, levels of mental ill health were high among farmers, says Matt Lobley, professor of rural resource management at the University of Exeter. Responses to the Farmers Weekly Transition survey earlier this year confirmed this, with 87.5% of farmers polled uncertain whether their farms would survive without Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) support. It is no secret that stress and poor mental health are endemic among the people who make their living from the land.Īs the UK moves away from direct farm payments to other kinds of funding, another tier of pressure has been added, with many questioning their future as active farmers.
