Charles Goadby, is a dairy farmer from Nuneaton in Warwickshire and milks a 350 holstein herd. This week he shared on social media his thoughts on farm inspections and the damaging impact increased scrutiny and regulation was having on farmers' mental health, at an already pressurised time.
As a farmer it increasingly feels like we are being put under more and more scrutiny, having to meet more and more regulation, while also facing the challenge of producing more and more for less returns as we become the pawns in the supermarket wars.
Add to that the environmental and net zero requirements that are being thrust upon us and the regulations that come with it, and we feel the weight of burden upon our shoulders pressing down more and more.
Worry
It feels like there is hardly a day that goes by without the nagging worry of an upcoming inspection or the uneasy fear of an unknown one being thrust upon us. Something that can make me sick with worry despite knowing that my records and practices are all in order.
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Defra, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Trading Standards, Environment Agency, Red Tractor, Health and Safety Executive, dairy, supply chain; the list goes on. They all come with a different set of eyes, all only looking for one thing - faults. Not to see how well you are doing things, only looking for problems.
As the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword. We can stick a clipboard in someone's hand and there is nobody with more power! (Or so they often believe.)
Stress
This week I had an Rural Payments Agency ( RPA) inspection. I am glad to say we passed with flying colours and I could not fault the inspector. He was thorough, but had an understanding of the stress I was under. Stress that was clear in my face when he spotted numerous problems with my claims.
Incorrect boundaries and incorrect land use, one of which was a permanent pasture field. How on earth had I managed to make such huge mistakes I will never know.
Errors
Well here is the thing - I had not. Between making my claim last year and it being updated on the RPA system a lot of things had changed. It is ok though. It was a clerical error and nothing to worry about.
If I had made such a mistake, would it have been no worries and a clerical error? No. I would have been negligent, I would be facing financial penalties and a deeper dive into my records looking for any minor error.
Would questions have been asked about me? Why I had made such an error? What else was going on in the background? Am I coping, either mentally, physically or financially?
Mental health
I am aware of two farmers in close proximity to me who have taken their own lives immediately following an inspection. Two families destroyed due to what was effectively a small error.
No awareness of rapidly changing rules and regulations that the best farmers struggle to keep up with. No working with farmers to help them make corrections and improve where there are genuine errors and not deliberate rule breaking.
We need regulations and we need inspections, but we also need understanding and to work together. Just maybe then we would not be living in fear and I would still have 2 very good farmers here living in my area.
Reach out
Whatever you are going through, you can seek help from a number of services:
Samaritans - 116 123
Farming Community Network - 03000 111 999
PAPYRUS - 0800 068 4141
Talk to Frank - 03001236600
SHOUT - 85258
