STRESS AND LOSS

"The worst thing was that cows very
close to calving had to be shot on farm.

We could see the calves kicking inside
as they died"

"I feel there is a constant dark cloud
of uncertainty over me, causing stress, anxiety and fear. I feel weary, mentally and physically which results in pain in my body"

Stress and Lost A report on the impact of bovine TB on farming families is a new report from the Farm Crisis Network[FCN] which focusses on the impact that TB has on farmers and their families.

FCN provides pastoral and practical support to farming families facing difficult times. FCN volunteers who provide face to face support for farmers and their families are well placed to see at first hand the distress and anxiety caused by the presence of TB on the farm.

68 families from some of the TB hotspots in England and Wales were surveyed by FCN volunteers; the resulting report focusses not on the processs by which TB is spread, nor on the legislation surrounding testing, but on the emotional impact and pain felt by farmers coping with the pressures that TB brings.

Stress and Loss shows that farmers suffer a range of stress related emotions ranging from worry through to physical illness and in some cases feelings of not wanting to carry on. The financial impact of TB has a big impact on farmers as does the frustration felt at government policies towards eradication of the disease, the amount of time taken up with constant testing, and the costs involved.

With words spoken by the farmers who were surveyed this report will sometimes shock and certainly be of concern to many people who want to understand the pressures of modern faming and those who come into contact with livestock farmers in a supportive or pastoral role.

The report can be downloaded from the FCN website http://www.fcn.org.uk/

FCN HELPLINE: 0845 367 9990

staffed from 7am to 11pm every day of the year

(answerphone out of hours)

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