Farmers: Mental Health Services

(asked on 3rd November 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has taken recent steps with Cabinet colleagues to help increase awareness of mental health support organisations in the farming community, in the context of increased pressures on poultry farmers following the avian flu outbreak.


Answered by
Mark Spencer Portrait
Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 7th December 2022

The scale of Avian Influenza (AI) outbreaks occurring in the UK and Europe is unprecedented and we recognise that these outbreaks are very distressing for the individual poultry farmers that are affected and the impact this can have on their mental health. On 28 October we announced a new package of measures to support domestic producers with the impacts of AI. This included changes to the compensation scheme allowing compensation to be paid to farmers from the outset of planned culling rather than at the end. In consultation with the Food Standards Agency, an easement to marketing rules is also being introduced in England to give producers certainty over business planning.

Defra has established the Farmer Welfare Forum which brings together England's largest farming welfare organisations, many of which provide mental health support to the agricultural industry. AI and its impact on poultry farmers has been discussed at recent meetings of this forum and we are working together to ensure farmers are aware of what support is available.

Defra continues to monitor the AI situation and to work closely with the poultry sector and farming welfare organisations.

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