Provincial ministers meet to advance mental health in agriculture

Yesterday, the Province’s of PEI and Quebec hosted a virtual seminar to discuss the importance of mental well-being in agriculture.

The Virtual Seminar on Famers’ Mental Health was a joint effort initiated by PEI and Quebec’s Ministry’s of Agriculture to further awareness and demonstrate the need for increased mental health and well-being supports in the agriculture industry. 

“Ensuring that mental health supports are available for our agriculture industry has been a priority since assuming this role in 2019, and today’s seminar was a great way to connect with colleagues to ensure our communities continue to receive the support they need. Our province offers many great resources and we look forward to working with our neighbours on developing new practices for our farmers.”

- Agriculture and Land Minister Bloyce Thompson

Items discussed at the first ever Virtual Seminar on Farmers’ Mental Health included free mental health services; mental health training through In The Know; provincial mental health promotion policies; strategic plans; as well as presentations from Minister Bloyce Thompson, Minister André LaMontagne, the PEI Federation of Agriculture, farmers from of each respective province, and representation from fellow Provincial Agriculture Ministries.

Quotes:
“The work we’re doing here, with my colleagues in other provinces, demonstrates how serious our commitments are to farmers’ mental health. The leadership that everyone has shown today will enable progress to be made in this area. Agricultural producers experience a lot of pressure and stress on a daily basis, as do their families. We benefit from learning what other governments are doing, learning what works, integrating these practices into our own, and improving and adapting them to better support our agricultural clients.”

Mr. André Lamontagne, ministre de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation, minister responsible for the Chaudière-Appalaches and the Centre-du-Québec Regions

Media contact:    
Kip Ready
Department of Agriculture and Land
kjready@gov.pe.ca