LONDON - Until the foot-and-mouth crisis, Brian Oakley was looking to a more secure future after struggling through depression brought on by the BSE debacle and falling farm prices.
But he was unable to cope with the latest setback and was found hanged at his Welsh hill farm.
Details of his death came as helplines reported being swamped by worried farmers after years of a rising trend in rural suicides.
Even though numbers of farm workers have been cut by about 40 per cent in the seven years from 1992, suicides have remained steady at about 70 every year.
The Rural Stress Information Network, which had calls last week from 33 upset farmers, said it was struggling to cope with the demand for its services.
Oakley, aged 54, a hill farmer at Llanfechain, Powys, cut down on farming because of his illness two years ago.
His wife Gillian said, "It was a very real illness brought on by the BSE crisis and the gradual decline of farming.
"It hit him very badly. Farmers have been under an incredible level of stress and what they are going through now must be soul-destroying."
- INDEPENDENT
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Worried farmers swamp helplines
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