Efforts to improve farmers' mental health at Driffield Show
Groups at the Driffield Show say mental welfare is a key issue among farmers.
The 147th Driffield Show was a chance for people in agriculture to come together and show the best of the industry, but also to bring farmers together.
Mental health has long been an issue in agriculture - according to the Office for National Statistics, 132 farmers took their own lives between 2011 and 2020, and accounted for 2.2% of all suicides in 2019.
Sally Conner, Regional Manager of RABI (Royal Agriculture Benevolent Institution) said: "The biggest challenge is change. With subsidies being pulled away for 2024, farmers have to decide how they are going to move forwards as a farm, and that can be catastrophic for them - it's going to be really difficult"
The majority of government support for farming came from the Basic Payment Scheme paid for by the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. Since Brexit, the government has set out a new framework, involving payments for environmental and animal welfare improvements.
Isolation can often be an issue among farmers, with very few people working on some farms, requiring them to spend long hours mostly alone.
Working on a farm as a family can also be challenging. Sally Conner said: "Farmers' wives have a huge burden sometimes, they are pivotal, they often do the books, the housework and keep the farm going and mediate between family members."
Events like the Driffield show are important for raising awareness of mental health. Sally Conner said: "If you've got a worry, talking to someone with the same worry makes you feel better. That's why this show is so important - it's a big social event."