By Maureen HodgeS Farming editor

Last updated at 15:16, Friday, 22 February 2013

More hard-up farmers are seeking emotional help as they struggle with ever-mounting money woes.

Brian Armstrong

Farm Crisis Network (FCN) leaders in Cumbria say calls to their helpline have gone up by 100 per cent in a year.

Last year’s washout summer has combined with disease, falling profits and soaring costs to drive many to thinking of quitting farming and some to despair.

County co-ordinator Brian Armstrong, from Kirkoswald, said: “The farmers who called were quite seriously low and they did not have anyone to talk to because they were so isolated.

“Some people have so much support around them from family and friends, they can get through it but in some cases, that does not happen.

“We heard from some farmers who were seriously thinking of leaving farming altogether. They are very depressed.”

A rise in calls to the helpline nationally was also blamed on rising feed costs and financial woes. Volunteers are now busier than at any time since the foot and mouth epidemic in 2001.

Mr Armstrong is one of 21 volunteers in Cumbria and he alone receives at least three calls a week for help.

“We knew we would get a number of calls, but we didn’t envisage the scale,” said Mr Armstrong.

“We’ve had a few calls from farmers who have yet to receive their Single Farm Payment (SFP), but the majority are from those struggling to buy feed for their animals,” he added.

Pressure is mounting on the Government to rescue the county’s livestock farmers as confidence among them hits a historic low.

“Some farmers were unable to get any crop in because of the atrocious summer, and their animals were forced to remain inside,” said Mr Armstrong.

He added: “These farmers are in dire straits, and they could not cope with another summer like 2012.”

Mr Armstrong said some farmers he was able to refer to charities like the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) and the Addison Fund for grant-aid.

“However, some of the problems we get are not as straightforward and can take longer to solve,” he said.

A national spokesman for the FCN said their message to farmers was: ‘Don’t leave it too late, get in touch sooner rather than later’.

“Obviously farmers are very proud people, but we are here to listen and to help,” said the spokesman.

The national helpline is currently dealing with 947 new and existing cases, involving 2,379 people.

RABI has supported around 48 Cumbrian farming families in the last 12 months.

Cumbrian chairman Pat Turnbull said some farmers were facing hard times.

“A lot of farms have lost sheep to the liver fluke disease. No sheep means no lambs and therefore no money,” said Mrs Turnbull.

Victoria Elms, of the Prince’s Countryside Fund, said it was not only livestock farmers who had been hit hard by the atrocious weather of 2012.

“It is only going to get worse as the need to buy in feed at inflated prices and the increase in other costs begins to have a serious effect on cash flow,” she added.

“The scale of the problem is extremely wide; arable farmers are having a dreadful year, upland farmers are among the worst hit by the financial crisis in the industry and lowland livestock producers have also seen their incomes hit badly.

“The emergency fund has reached £500,000 and we are releasing funds steadily to the farming charities.”

A willingness to back farmers in Cumbria was one of the highlights from results of The Cumberland News’ Our Cumbria survey, in which respondents said they were keen to show support for the industry and its future.

The FCN national helpline number is 0845 3679990.

First published at 14:44, Friday, 22 February 2013
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk