Famine Watch<<< Farmer suicide alert as crops washed away>>>

Farmer suicide alert as crops washed away

AT LEAST two farmers are believed to have committed suicide after widespread flooding wiped out entire grain crops in the eastern states.

Mental health advocates say it has been a stressful time for grain farmers, who had suffered through a decade-long drought and then placed high hopes on this year's harvest.

It is estimated the crop damage in NSW and Victoria will total $1 billion. Crops have also been badly damaged in Queensland and South Australia.

Mental health expert and Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry said he had been told about two NSW farmers who had committed suicide in the wake of the floods.

"The farmers have gone through the drought and they've hung in there, and then the floods came," Professor McGorry said.

"They were looking at their first decent crop in years, and then a flood came and washed it all away. And two of them suicided."

[link to www.theaustralian.com.au]