Norco report reveals worsening farmer mental health and food-security threat
The 2026 Norco National Farmer Wellbeing Report surveyed more than 1,000 primary producers across every Australian state and a range of agricultural industries. The study was conducted by Norco with the Black Dog Institute and examined mental health, financial conditions and pressures affecting farm businesses.
Almost one-quarter of respondents, or 24%, said they frequently or constantly experienced anxiety. A further 33% reported that their mental health had worsened in the previous 12 months. Farmers were nearly twice as likely to describe their mental health as poor as their physical health, with the respective figures standing at 19% and 10%.
Financial conditions were a central feature of the findings. Some 27% of surveyed farms had operated at a net loss during the preceding three years. Among producers in that group, 75% said financial strain had harmed their mental wellbeing. In addition, 23% said they frequently found it difficult to manage the daily operational demands of farming.
The report also recorded pressure from rising input costs, changing climate conditions and natural disasters. These factors were reported alongside the financial difficulties faced by agricultural businesses and the psychological distress described by producers.
The findings included a workforce and food-supply concern: 41% of farmers said they had actively considered leaving agriculture. Norco chief executive Michael Hampson and other industry advocates said Australian farmers produce about 90% of the food consumed domestically. They linked the possible departure of producers, in the absence of viable succession between generations, with risks to the continuity of supply.
The Black Dog Institute and agricultural leaders called for coordinated action by policymakers, supply-chain participants and regional communities. Their recommendations included more accessible mental-health services designed for rural areas, measures to reduce the stigma around seeking assistance, and policy responses intended to help primary producers manage extreme climate events and higher input costs.
