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Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America releases safety fact sheet

Annual cost of agriculture occupational injuries is about $8.3 billion

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

The Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America (ASHCA) released its safety fact sheet to put figures and facts to the dangers associated with working in agriculture in the United States.

Some findings taken from the 2012 Census of Agriculture were:

  • 87% of farms are operated by families or individuals
  • 30% of farm operators are female
  • 22% deemed themselves as new farmers

Numbers from the 2013 United States Bureau of Labour indicate

  • The agriculture/forestry/fishing industry has the highest rate of occupational deaths (22.2 per 100,000 full-time workers)
  • 115 children between 0-19 die and about 4/5 were merely present, and not working.
  • Tractors are the leading cause of death with 125 per year
  • The cost of youth fatalities is around $420 million annuallyStudies show that for every $1 invested in safety programs, farmers can save anywhere from $4 - $6.
  • The cost of youth fatalities is around $420 million annually

Earlier this year, the ASCHA announced grants of up to $10,000 being offered by a group consisting of agribusinesses and safety professionals. In June, grants were used towards initiatives including safety training, app development, and safe play areas for farmworker’s children.

“The applications were thoughtfully prepared and covered a number of topics related to ASHCA’s priorities, considering issues of national significance while acknowledging safety/health concerns of regional or commodity specific importance,” said Leon Graves, grants committee chair and vice-president of Dairy Marketing Services.

The deadline for applying for grants is January 7, 2015.


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The 12-day war between Iran-Israel came to an end sending crude oil futures plunging as the big fund speculators removed the war risk premium.

The weather risk premium in the Ag complex is sending corn, wheat and soybean futures lower on month-end selling ahead of the market moving USDA quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports on June 30th.

Instead, funds were chasing and sending tech stocks higher with the S&P 500/NASDAQ indexes setting new all-time record highs!

June 1 USDA Hogs and pigs report was slightly bearish while the U.S. $ Index traded to new contract lows as the de-dollarization that began in 2014 continues.

Feed in the form of soybean meal futures for livestock producers got cheaper, trading to new contract lows.

The Stats Canada seeded acreage update was bullish canola and wheat.