There is an increasing awareness that the pressures inherent in farming can lead to issues with mental health and wellbeing.

Earlier this year, Sarah Comish, secretary of the Manx NFU, told Food & Farming that farmers are often very good at hiding mental health problems.

She said: ‘It’s pride: everybody’s very stoic on the surface but they may be struggling and sometimes you don’t find out until things have got very difficult.

‘I think farming is very complex emotionally. It’s so integrated with family and it can be extremely lonely, especially these days when you don’t have a lot of staff and you end up doing an awful lot on your own. And then, if the financial pressures keep hitting, you’re on your own with it, and you start to get into a bit of a hole that’s very difficult to get out of.

‘This year, we are working on a better, more formal, strategy for dealing with mental health in agriculture. We do need a better strategy to give farmers a route to help.’

The Union has been working with Yellow Wellies Foundation, the UK organisation that works to preserve farmers’ physical and mental wellbeing, and with NFU Mutual, to create a database for farmers and their families, to help them spot the signs when someone is struggling and give them advice about where to go for help.

Another organisation that can help, the Samaritans, will be at the Southern Show. They will be talking to visitors about their organisation and giving advice to anyone who is feeling low or under pressure about where they can contact, to talk to someone and get help.