FARMERS are suffering record levels of mental health problems due to droughts, floods, heatwaves, excessive working hours and other problems, research has found.

According to a study by the Farm Safety Foundation, 95 per cent of Britain’s farmers under the age of 40 rank poor mental health as one of the biggest hidden difficulties facing farmers today.

The Office of National Statistics registered 36 suicides in farming and agriculture in England and Wales in 2021.

The problem is so acute that it has inspired a short film. Wake, starring Alison Steadman and Poldark’s Mark Frost, was released in 2022.

The Farm Safety Foundation said: “The effects of the relentless season of storms have had huge consequences for those whose lives and livelihoods depend on the land.

“Fields flooded, crops destroyed and animals in danger have made recent headlines, but this is only the tip of the iceberg.

“The UK’s farming industry has faced many challenges over the past few years, but the emerging mental health challenge may prove the most devastating.”