The farm’s most valuable asset is you and your family - Poots

Date published: 11 August 2020

Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots MLA has urged Northern Ireland's farmers and farm families to look after their physical health and mental wellbeing at the launch of a new campaign aimed at protecting the most valuable asset of the agricultural industry – its people.

DARD News

The Minister spoke as he launched the ’Protecting the Asset that is You’ campaign. The Minister said: "Given the challenging environment created by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is now more important than ever to look after ourselves both physically and mentally. This programme, 'Protecting the Asset that is You' will deliver up-to-date health messages to farmers and their families and support people to look after themselves."

The campaign is funded via DAERA's Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) fund and delivered through Rural Support and the Farm Family Health Check Programme (FFHCP) - designed to help those in the farming industry look after themselves and their families.

The Minister continued: "The overall aim of the 'Protecting the Asset that is You' campaign is to continue to improve the health and wellbeing not just of farmers and farming families but also rural communities through crucial health messages and signposting the pathways to appropriate services when and where they are needed.

"This partnership between Rural Support and the FFHCP will enable us to make more people aware of various health conditions that the farming community can be more vulnerable to than other communities and therefore need to be a lot more mindful of. These include conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular health and skin cancer. These conditions are preventable and we as farmers can help ourselves greatly with the support of health care teams."

Throughout 2020-2021, Rural Support will receive £150,000 from the TRPSI fund to provide farmers and rural dwellers with a listening ear and support service. DAERA also provide over £150k p.a. to support the Farm Family Health Checks project..

The Minister concluded: “We must be very mindful not to let the physical and psychological pressures involved in running a farm become harmful to the wellbeing of farmers or their families. That is why the ‘Protecting the Asset that is You’ campaign is so important. I am asking our farmers to remember that they and their families are the greatest asset on our farms. Without them, the farm will not work effectively. I urge you all, to please look after yourselves, be aware of potential health issues and seek the appropriate help."

Notes to editors: 

  1. The Rural Support Charity provides a listening ear and a route to services for farmers and farm families provides helpline, volunteer and outreach support to rural clients as well as information sessions to reduce stress and promote positive mental health. They also provide on-farm business mentoring for farmers and family members.
  2. Although currently suspended because of the current Covid-19 restrictions, the FFHCP in partnership with the Public Health Agency and Northern Health and Social Care Trust provides access to nurse led health checks specifically designed for famers and rural community dwellers. Historically, those within those communities have been reluctant to attend their GP's for a variety of reasons. Plans are already in place to resume the FFHC Programme as restrictions are decreased.
  3. Since it was established in 2011, FFHCP has completed over 20,000 health checks on farmers and farm family members.
  4. Over the next five months, FFHCP and Rural Support will deliver a series of 'Focus on Health' weeks provide their key messages through social media platforms and articles in the farming, regional and local press.
  5. The series will begin on August 17 with a focus on ‘Care in the Sun’. On September 14 the campaign will be looking at ‘Type 2 Diabetes’ and will be followed on October 19 by ‘Smoking’. On November 16 the campaign will look at maintaining a ‘Healthy Heart’ and the final session on December 14 the focus will be on Alcohol and Substance Abuse. These focus points will include access to leaflets and links to other appropriate services and a series of videos and podcasts with various experts linked to each health area. 
  6. These online sessions can be accessed on Twitter , on Facebook at and on Instagram at ruralsupportni.
  7. Follow DAERA on Twitter and Facebook 
  8. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office 
  9. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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