Help is at hand for farmers to discuss the impact of Brexit on their welfare and mental wellbeing, both now and in the future.
That’s the message from more than 40 farming and rural charities who came together at the NFU to outline the challenges farmers are starting to face in the current political climate, as well as what may happen in the coming weeks and month ahead, considering how farm businesses could be affected both if the UK leaves the EU with a deal or without one. Charities available to farmers and growers include The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I) and The Farming Community Network (FCN).
NFU Vice President Stuart Roberts said: “Farmers are affected by the same pressures that affect everyone else in society, from finances to relationships. On top of this they run business which are particularly vulnerable to external volatility and can face isolation from the very nature of where they farm. And while these have been a challenge for farmers way before the referendum, Brexit has served to amplify the stress and anxiety within the industry.
“We still have no certain answer to the big Brexit question of how we will leave the EU, whether that’s with a deal or without one, but we can be sure that either outcome will have an impact on farmers and their businesses. This event was about sharing knowledge of where we could be in terms of trade, access to labour, domestic agricultural policy and regulation depending on the Brexit outcome, to enable charities to better understand the difficulties farmers will face in the coming months and how they can best support those in need.
“The NFU continues to call on government to ensure the UK’s exit from the EU is orderly, with the essential deals and polices in place that safeguard the future of British food and farming.”
