Suffolk farmer warns no harvest is worth a life after rise in farming deaths
Farmers are being urged to stop and think before carrying out dangerous jobs after the number of people killed while working in agriculture rose over the past year.
Farmers are being urged to stop and think before carrying out dangerous jobs after the number of people killed while working in agriculture rose over the past year.
Twenty-nine people died while working in Britain's agricultural industry between April 2025 and March 2026, according to new figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) – six more than the previous year. The figures have prompted renewed calls for farmers to prioritise safety during the busy harvest season.
The warning comes as the National Farmers' Union marks Farm Safety Week, a national campaign led by the Farm Safety Foundation, also known as Yellow Wellies, encouraging farmers to reduce risks on their farms.
George Gittus, a farmer near Bury St Edmunds and the NFU's Suffolk representative on its national council, described the latest figures as "another horrific year".
He believes financial pressures facing many farming businesses can contribute to poor decisions on farms, although he stressed that no financial saving is worth risking a life.
"When everyone's under financial pressures, you take shortcuts," he said.
"There isn't a price you could put on a life."
Mr Gittus said taking just a few minutes to assess a task before starting work could prevent serious accidents.
He encouraged farmers to consider whether they had the right equipment, whether conditions were safe and whether the job could wait, rather than rushing to complete it.
"Take five minutes to look at what you're going into.
"Can you do it differently? Either take some more time, get the right piece of kit, or just spend time to think."
The HSE figures show machinery remained the biggest cause of fatal incidents on farms during 2025/26, underlining the importance of maintaining equipment, ensuring operators are properly trained and avoiding unnecessary risks during harvest.
The NFU is also urging farmers to remain alert during the recent spell of hot weather, with an increased risk of combine and crop fires while harvesting.
Drawing on his own experience, Mr Gittus said tiredness should never be ignored, particularly during long harvest days.
He said employers should create an environment where workers feel comfortable admitting when they are exhausted.
"There's no embarrassment in saying you're tired.
"It's not worth putting anybody at risk."
Mr Gittus said one of the most difficult experiences he had witnessed was supporting a farming family after a fatal workplace accident, describing the lasting impact it had on everyone involved.
"The police had to go and tell the wife of this particular individual (that he had passed), and he (another farmer) said, I would like to come with you. I need to come with you. He went, and of course, that little child came running downstairs and asked when's daddy coming home and, that sends shivers down your spine."
While acknowledging that some incidents cannot be prevented, he said many could be avoided by recognising hazards before beginning work.
"Nothing is worth losing a life for.
"You're only going to say afterwards, 'if only'."
The NFU's vice-president, Robyn Munt, said every fatality represented a person whose life and family had been changed forever.
She said the organisation's Take 5, Stay Alive campaign encourages farmers to spend five minutes assessing risks before beginning work, helping to prevent accidents and protect both physical and mental health.
Mr Gittus also encouraged anyone struggling, whether with safety concerns, financial pressures or their mental wellbeing, to seek support from neighbours, farming charities or other organisations.
"Don't be afraid to reach out."