All fair enough, but I have learned in life that there may come a point in seeking to confront an unsustainable and untenable situation when the best option is to walk away, to seek a different and hopefully less stressful environment. The history of mankind is replete with movement from less favourable to more favourable terrain. In the present context, government policy has tended to drag out the suffering by maintaining people in situations which are, in the longer term, non-viable, rather than assisting them to make the necessary break before things become as desperate as you outline.

WE NEED A NEW MODEL FOR FARMERS

Farmers need to learn to multi-task like in Scandinavian countries. The Government could have them work on those shocking country roads for 2 days a week for pay. Better infrastructure and good income for hard work. Older folk could act as cottage industry call centres (like India). Herein, all effort is not in one basket. Of course, this might require govenment funded retraining, as with unemployed labour. That's okay, if non-farm investments are means tested.

Too many people follow the path of least resistance - and we end up in a world of trouble for it. Good on the rural community for sticking it out, despite all the hardships. To me the article highlighted our neglect of our rural and regional counterparts. Shame on us. Sometimes the easiest path is not always the right path. Equality means one's right to chose, and being given a fair go within that lifestyle. Struggling country folk may be out of our everyday field of awareness, but we have a responsiblity to do at least one thing in each of our lives to help ease their struggle. They have much to offer us - we need to value their contribution much more than we do at present.