Why mental ill-health is on the increase across rural Australia

Rural Aid chief executive officer John Warlters said in recent months the rural charity was seeing increasing numbers of farmers who were battling increased levels of mental ill-health.

"In a recent Rural Aid study, one in two farmers said they've felt their mental health decline in the past year," Mr Warlters said.

"76 per cent of our farmers rated their mental health as poor, very poor or average."

"These numbers show that all is not well on the farm."

It's a sentiment echoed across the industry including Rabobank's Rural Confidence Survey, which has shown farm confidence has plummeted in the past three months.

Rural Aid's mental health and wellbeing manager, Myf Pitcher, said weather conditions, biosecurity concerns, and disaster recovery were proving particularly challenging for farmers.

"Our counselling team is making a really important difference every day, we've been all over the country supporting primary producers," Ms Pitcher said.

"From hay drops in South Australia, to water tank deliveries in Western Australia, and resilience and recovery conversations in Queensland, our mental health and wellbeing team have been working overtime to assist farmers with the challenges they're currently facing."

Mr Warlters said the record dry conditions in the south and west of the nation were proving especially difficult with the demand for hay in South Australia being particularly strong.

"Rural Aid has organised and executed a support drop of hay, stockfeed or emergency household drinking water at the rate of roughly one per day over the last four weeks."

Mr Warlters said Rural Aid could not do any of its vital work without the generosity of the Australian public.

"Thank you to every single person who has dug deep for our mates in the bush in their moment of need," Mr Warlters said.