Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, recently hosted the National Farmers Union’s Parliamentary reception on rural mental health.

Having repeatedly raised the importance of support for people in rural communities, such as Hinckley and Bosworth, struggling with mental health and wellbeing, Dr Evans worked with the NFU to bring charities, Government Ministers and local farmers together.

New data from a survey undertaken by the NFU reveals that over 68% of farmers in Britain have had their mental health negatively impacted by spiralling input costs, such as fuel, animal feed and fertiliser, which have rose to record levels due to factors such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Dr Evans invited three farmers from Bosworth to the Parliamentary event, where they discussed support for people in rural areas with the NFU President Minette Batters.

This event followed a recent announcement by the Government confirming a range of measures to help strengthen the long-term resilience and sustainability of the sector and provide greater stability for farmers following a difficult period caused by global challenges.

Mental Health Minister, Maria Caulfield MP, attended the event and highlighted ongoing work by the Government to support farmers, mental health in rural areas and combat loneliness. Secretary of State for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs, Dr Thérèse Coffey MP, and Farming Minister, Mark Spencer MP, also attended the event.

Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said “As a proud rural constituency I know how important support for farmers and producers is to many in our community.

“NFU members have candidly said that, a few years ago, they would never have been speaking about issues such as mental health and wellbeing. This new research from the NFU shows the impact that global price rises, rural crime and market volatility can have on farmers and their families and highlights why it’s so important that anyone struggling gets the help they need.

“I will continue to champion - both locally and down in Westminster - our many excellent farmers, growers and producers, and work to ensure they receive the support they need.”

NFU Vice-President David Exwood said  “While we are starting to see a culture change within our sector, where talking about mental health is becoming more and more accepted, there are still too many farmers and growers simply ignoring the signs and struggling on in silence.

“I hope this event shows there is support out there as we mark the start of an important conversation.”

A broad range of farmers were surveyed by the NFU to obtain a representative overview of the industry as a whole. Below are key figures from this survey:

• 68% consider rising input costs to have had a negative impact
• 61% consider market volatility to have had a negative impact
• 61% consider fairness in the supply chain to have had a negative impact
• 51% consider the weather to have had a negative impact
• 48% consider rural crime to have had a negative impact