News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – The following message was issued today by Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet in recognition of the upcoming Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, March 13-19:

The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association works to raise awareness on the importance of safe farming practices through this annual campaign. This year’s theme Keeping Kids Safe aims to acknowledge ways in which producer families can keep every generation safe on the farm while preserving this traditional way of life that is so vital to the landscape of our province and country.

Today, the agriculture industry is the province’s second largest goods producing sector, creating more than 10,000 full-time equivalent jobs. It generates close to $600 million in gross farm cash receipts, and yields almost $1.5 billion in value-added revenues every year. When an accident or injury occurs, it hurts both emotionally and economically.

Safety is paramount in any job, but particularly in farming. The agricultural industry ranks as one of the most hazardous working environments in Canada. But accidents are preventable. This is why it is critical for farming producers to recognize the importance of creating and maintaining safe and healthy farming practices for adults and particularly children, whether they are at work or at play.

The Canadian Agricultural Safety Week is organized by the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association in collaboration with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Both associations work with Farm Credit Canada as well as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. WorkSafeNB provides resources and training opportunities for farm operators and their workers.

I encourage all farmers to devote some time to assess and improve their safety systems with their families. Make safety a priority by developing a formal written safety plan for your agricultural practice. Farmers can also visit the campaign website for tips on how to create safe play areas on the farm and assess when children are ready to perform certain farm chores.

Our kids are too important to allow safety to be a second thought.