The Otago Rural Support Trust has pulled out of a funding collaboration with the Government because of lack of demand from farmers for mental health support.
Chairman Gavan Herlihy, of Wanaka, told the Otago Daily Times yesterday the trust also wanted flexibility in how it operated.
"We haven't had a tsunami of requests for assistance, which is positive in some ways.
"We haven't had the degree of work that DairyNZ and others had anticipated.''
It comes amid uncertainty about whether rural health trusts will receive continued additional funding in next week's Budget.
In some parts of the country, particularly in the North Island, the dairy downturn prompted many in the sector to turn to the trusts for help.
Mr Herlihy said the trust had other funds which allowed it to keep operating.
"We are no longer part of a programme, but I have said to both DairyNZ and MPI that once there is more clarity on what the programme may be going forward, if they are of benefit to Otago, we would consider coming back into the programme.''
Farming in Otago was different from areas like Taranaki, which had a high concentration of sharemilkers, Mr Herlihy said.
The trust had given notice, but the move does not take effect until the end of this month.
Last year, New Zealand's 14 rural support trusts received a funding boost from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). It was part of a broader $500,000 rural mental health package announced by the Government.
The funding allowed the trusts to train more facilitators to help stressed farmers and agricultural workers.
An April 20 reporting document released by MPI under the Official Information Act hints at stresses in rural trusts.
The document, prepared by project manager DairyNZ, says some facilitators were resigning, while "others are growing stronger''.
"The right person for the role is becoming clearer through this process, which is a real positive.''
A "lack of clarity'' about future funding was hindering the trusts.
There were concerns about a lack of available counselling services, meaning some trusts were having to fund counselling.
"Reporting is getting better but still very loose,'' the report says.
MPI director of resource policy David Wansbrough, of Wellington, said the extra funding brought challenges for rural trusts.
Some trusts were "relishing'' an ability to take a bigger role.
The trusts had existed for a long time on a volunteer basis and the ministry had tried not to "over-burden'' them with paperwork.
"We're using an existing network and we're trying to strengthen it and make it a stronger and a better service both through the training and recording of what they do.''
The funding boost runs out at the end of next month.
Mr Wansbrough said he was keen to see if more funding would be allocated for rural mental health in next week's Budget.
"Whatever happens, we will have lifted the game a little bit, and that should last.
"The Otago Rural Support Trust has been bolstered by the recruitment and training of four additional facilitators under the initial stages of the programme, who remain working with the trust.''
The Otago trust had notified the MPI it had seen "no notable increase'' in mental health related calls, Mr Wansbrough said.