New Zealand’s farmer suicide disgrace

While the 169 farmers who committed suicide since 2007/8 eclipses the 112 people who have tragically died in agricultural occupational deaths, this toll has gone largely unnoticed aside from the families and communities it touches.

“New Zealand’s farmer suicide rate is a national disgrace,” says Katie Milne, Federated Farmers Health & Safety spokesperson.

“After this year’s release of the provisional suicide statistics, we asked the Coronial Services to drill down into how many farmers committed suicide in 2013/14.

“The answer was a staggering 22 farmers including seven women, showing how mental health on-farm is not a male preserve. Six farmers were under the age of 24 and ten over the age of 50.

“Meanwhile, WorkSafe NZ’s provisional toll for agricultural deaths, covering the 2013 calendar year, stands at 18. I don’t for a minute wish to downplay the importance of health and safety but you are also talking a huge gap in funding for what is more visible.

“As a member of Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHĀNZ), Federated Farmers knows there are big disparities in funding for mental health before you get to what’s spent rurally. RHĀNZ found it highly difficult to get a breakdown on what the rural share is.

“We’re not looking for money to be thrown willy-nilly because depression.org.nz shows how smart spending can get cut through.

“There’s no doubt Sir John Kirwan has saved lives while inspiring Doug Avery, a past Landcorp Agricultural Communicator of the Year, to go public as a farmer ‘JK.’

“Yet programmes like this need to be backed up on the ground in rural New Zealand.

“A big issue for our guys stems from the turnover of medical professionals in rural areas because mutual trust is vital to combat depression and tackling our suicide toll.

“So is the training of rural medical staff in the recognition and treatment of mental health.

“We believe this is a chance to look at the Ministry of Health’s voluntary bonding scheme, to see if it remains fit for purpose in attracting and retaining medical professionals to rural areas,” Ms Milne added.

Federated Farmers’ President, Dr William Rolleston, is a farmer and former General Practitioner and believes farmers put off going to their GP until they have a list of ailments.

“This ‘saving it up,’ is part farming culture and part a lack of ready access to the healthcare services that they need,” Dr Rolleston explains.

“It is less “she’ll be right” and more “it can wait,” except in the case of your physical or mental health, it usually cannot. That’s a key message we need to get out into our communities but it is one that also needs to have the services available,” Dr Rolleston concluded.

ends

© Scoop Media