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Scottish Labour calls for targeted mental health support following increase in farmer suicides
Lavender farmer at Tarhill Farm near Perth & Kinross

SCOTTISH LABOUR has called for targeted mental health support in rural areas, as new data indicates a worrying increase in suicides of agricultural workers. 

Speaking in Holyrood on Thursday afternoon, shadow cabinet secretary for rural economy Colin Smyth called on the Scottish government to assess the mental health services offered in rural areas.  

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that 123 agricultural workers across Britain, 21 from Scotland, took their lives in 2019.

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