Canadian agriculture industry to benefit from new safety training fund

March 4, 2010, Winnipeg, Manitoba – An online survey of Canadian producers conducted by
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) indicates that almost nine in 10 respondents (87 per cent) are
interested in pursuing at least one agricultural safety training topic.

To meet this demand, FCC is investing $100,000 in a fund administered by CASA that will be
available to eligible organizations interested in creating and hosting agriculture safety training
programs. These new programs will ensure farmers have access to more safety training and will
increase the number of farm safety trainers. According to the FCC survey, CASA was the top
choice when producers were asked where they go first for information on agricultural safety.

“Producers were very upfront about their safety training needs,” says Greg Stewart, FCC
President and CEO. “They told us they value farm safety and that they’re looking for strategies
to keep themselves, their families and their employees safe. Right across the country,
producers are expressing an interest in running safer operations.”

“CASA is so pleased to partner with FCC to offer funding for enhanced training opportunities,”
says Marcel Hacault, Executive Director of CASA. “We’re looking forward to offering trainers the
chance to develop new courses. The fund will also give organizations the opportunity to present
the training courses producers say they’ll actually use to manage risks in their workplace.”

Applications for the fund will be accepted from September 13 to October 27. Watch for details at
www.planfarmsafety.ca and www.fcc-fac.ca.

FCC has a long history of partnering with CASA to help make all farm operations a safe place to
work and live. FCC, along with CASA, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada, is a major sponsor of Canadian Agricultural Safety Week taking place
March 14 to 20 across Canada. For further details, visit www.planfarmsafety.ca.

The online survey referenced above is an FCC Vision survey. The FCC Vision Panel consists of
9,000 producers and agribusiness operators from across Canada who regularly share their
valuable opinions on agriculture-related topics. For more information regarding the study
findings, visit: http://www.fccvision.ca/InAction_Archive.aspx.

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