A new survey has revealed that 87% of farmers are concerned about their wellbeing, while 91% said their stress levels increased this year.

The figures came from an FRS Farm Services survey completed by 481 farmers between 28 August and 6 September.

The majority of farmers surveyed acknowledged that they are currently experiencing ‘moderate’ or ‘high’ levels of stress when thinking about their farm.

Some 51% of farmers said the increased costs of farming have contributed to their stress levels, 38% acknowledged their growing workload, 37% mentioned their reduced farm income, 30% said the increased extreme weather conditions, the same number said they had less opportunity to take a break and 29% accredited the additional paperwork demand to their added stress levels.

The survey results also found that more than two in five farmers (42%) say the average number of hours they work on the farm per day has increased in the last year.

The average farmer says they currently work 11 hours/day on the farm, with 36% saying they put in 12 hours or more into their farm on a daily basis, which means, on average, farmers have three hours to themselves per day away from work, sleep and meals.

Positives

On the positive end of the spectrum, two in three farmers (68%) say they have a good work-life balance.

Furthermore, 97% of farmers say they experience job satisfaction from working on a farm and 90% of them would recommend a career in farming, despite the stress levels involved.

Speaking about the survey, FRS Co-Op group CEO Colin Donnery said it has been an especially hard year for farmers.

“We can see how much the levels of stress are rising on Irish farms,” Donnery said.

"We would also encourage any farmers who are feeling pressure and stress to reach out to us or others. There are many resources specially designed for farmers from different organisations aimed at improving health and wellbeing.”

FRS at the Ploughing

FRS Farm Services employs 1,000 people who provide support and relief to more than 2,000 farms across Ireland.

At the upcoming National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois, FRS Farm Services will be promoting a ‘Focus on Farm-Life Balance’ as a major part of its stand.

Also at its stand, it is encouraging farmers to nominate any hard-working farmers they know who they feel should be given some time off.

The winning farmer selected at the ploughing show will be provided with an FRS Farm Services operator for a week, giving them time to themselves and enabling them to take a break from the farm.