The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about yet another way our government is supporting Newfoundland and Labrador’s agriculture industry.

I think we can all agree that safety on the farm is very, very important. And while farming in and of itself can be dangerous, I am proud to say that the farms I have visited implement strict measures to mitigate the risk.

Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, March 10-16, is an annual public campaign focused on the importance of safe agriculture. The aim of the campaign is to empower farmers and farming communities to build, grow and lead the industry in safety and sustainability.

Mr. Speaker, empowering new and current farmers is important to this government. It’s the reason we implemented the Agriculture Sector Work Plan and committed to increasing food self-sufficiency and employment in the agriculture sector through The Way Forward.

Through our Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding is available to Newfoundland and Labrador farmers through the Mitigating Agricultural Risks Program to identify and mitigate on-farm safety risks, including funding for farm safety awareness and training.

Mr. Speaker, my department takes farm safety very seriously. We recognize the importance of ensuring agribusinesses are a safe workplace for farmers and their employees.

I congratulate Farm Credit Canada, the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture for supporting this initiative which is supported by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Thank you.