North Herefordshire MP, Sir Bill Wiggin, is raising awareness of mental health issues plaguing the farming industry.

At a recent event centred on the Farm Safety Foundation's campaign 'Mind Your Head', MP Wiggin highlighted the significant mental health risks associated with working in agriculture.

He said: "There are three suicides in the agricultural industry each week in the UK.

"The rate of suicide for males working on farms is triple that of the male average.

"Mental health is a serious issue and we must do all we can to prevent this wherever we can."

MP Wiggin's comments follow a study by the Farm Safety Foundation which revealed growing concerns over the mental health of farmers and agricultural workers.

Out of 450 farmers under the age of 40 who were part of the study, a staggering 95 per cent agreed that poor mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing the industry today.

Further addressing the issue, Sir Bill Wiggin underlined the significant impact of the adversarial relationship traditionally held between farmers and regulatory bodies such as the Environment Agency and Natural England.

He said: "This means that farmers, like me, want as little interaction with these agencies as possible.

"This increases the sense of repression and makes it harder for farmers when things get tough."

The Mind Your Head campaign aims to cast a spotlight on these persisting mental health concerns within agriculture.

The campaign works to counteract the combination of long working hours, financial pressures, and isolation that farmers often face.

To support this cause, MP Wiggin revealed he always supports the Farm Safety Foundation, colloquially known as Yellow Wellies, and actively encourages the visibility of their symbol within the farming community.

He added: "I have always supported Yellow Wellies and try to ensure that every ignition key has a pair of little yellow wellies hanging from it.

"Just to remind ourselves that we need to come home safely – every day."

To fully understand the work of the Farm Safety Foundation, Sir Bill Wiggin encourages all those working within the industry to visit the website via yellowwellies.org.