Key findings show that 54 percent of Australian farmers reported feeling depressed or down over the past two years, with nearly a quarter (24 percent) frequently or constantly dealing with anxiety. Furthermore, one in three producers (33 percent) stated their mental health had deteriorated over the prior 12 months, with farmers nearly twice as likely to report poor mental health as poor physical health (19 percent versus 10 percent).

The report highlighted severe financial and economic strains behind the farm gate as a primary driver of emotional exhaustion. More than a quarter of surveyed farms (27 percent) reported operating at a net financial loss over the past three years, and among those affected, 75 percent confirmed that financial stress had directly harmed their mental wellbeing. Compounding these burdens, 23 percent of producers reported frequently struggling to cope with daily farm operational demands.

The escalating human toll is creating acute structural risks for the agricultural workforce and national food security. According to the data, two in five farmers (41 percent) have actively considered exiting agriculture entirely. Norco CEO Michael Hampson and industry advocates warned that with farmers producing roughly 90 percent of the food consumed domestically in Australia, a potential producer exodus without viable intergenerational succession threatens long-term supply resilience.