A FARMING foundation has announced the launch of a program aiming to tackle suicide risk in British agriculture.

The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) has launched its ninth annual Mind Your Head week. Running from February 9, to February 13, the campaign calls on farmers, rural organisations, colleges and Young Farmers Clubs to start life-saving conversations, learn practical skills and connect communities to support.

The latest Office of National Statistics figures showed 47 suicides were registered in England and Wales among the farming and agricultural industry in 2024, a seven per cent increase from 2022.

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said: “Over the past nine years, we have made significant strides in raising awareness and improving education around mental health. However, when it comes to suicide prevention, progress has been far more limited.

“While agriculture in the UK benefits from rural support groups and charities who deliver vital, high-quality support, a critical gap remains: there is still very little suicide prevention training tailored specifically for those working in agriculture.

“Farming brings a unique set of pressures - long hours, isolation, financial uncertainty, generational expectations and physical risk. Conversations about suicide in rural communities require approaches that are real, relatable and rooted in lived experience. Without training designed for the realities of agricultural life, we risk leaving those most vulnerable without the tools they need to recognise warning signs and intervene effectively.”

Mental wellbeing among farmers over 40 years old hits a four-year low, with the sharpest decline being among those aged 61 – historically the most resilient group.

Stephanie continued: “Farming is tough. Long hours, hard graft and a mindset that says ‘just get on with it.’ That grit is admirable - but it is also why some farmers leave it too late to ask for help. As we enter 2026, we want to address the issue of suicide awareness and prevention. Too many farming families are quietly carrying the weight of crisis and loss. The message this year is simple: learn the steps, start conversations earlier and look out for each other. When communities know what to say and what to do, lives can be saved.”

As members of The Royal Foundation’s National Suicide Prevention Network, the Farm Safety Foundation will use this year’s campaign to strengthen access, collaboration and innovation across crisis, prevention.

Stephanie Berkeley added: “Suicide is not inevitable and preventing it means letting the people closest to the pain make the call to action so, throughout this week, we will share the voices that matter most - those who have lost loved ones, those who have endured in silence and those who have found their way back from the darkest of places. These stories are raw, real and deeply human.

“We have also created a hero film for the campaign bringing these voices together in a way that speaks straight to the heart of farming: real people, real hope and the unstoppable power of community.

“This will be a campaign about education, resilience and compassion - but above all, it will be about hope and saving lives.”