The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said there was increasing financial pressure on farmers due to high costs, record inflation, low farm yields and persistent bad weather.

Speaking recently, NFU president Tom Bradshaw said a combination of such factors “has led to a collapse in farmer confidence, which is at its lowest level since records began”.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that 36 UK farmers took their own lives in 2021.

Meanwhile, research by the charity Farm Safety Foundation, which was carried out this year, found that the majority of young farmers in the UK were concerned about the impact of the workplace on their mental health.

In the government’s recent budget, it was announced that an inheritance tax of 20% will apply to agricultural assets worth more than £1m from April 2026.

Previously, the farm estate tax exemption allowed family farms, including land, buildings and homes, to pass between generations tax-free.