FARMING continues to have the highest rate of fatal injuries compared to all main industry sectors, the latest figures show.

Leading farm safety charity, the Farm Safety Foundation, says 39 people have lost their lives on farms this year, despite awareness of farm safety being at an all-time high.

Of those killed, 32 were agricultural workers and seven were members of the public, including two children

Farm Safety Foundation manager Stephanie Berkeley said: “Farming as an industry is vital to the UK economy – it is the bedrock of our food and drink industry.

"On a farm, as with any business, the number one resource is the people so why do farmers still give more attention to their livestock, crops and machinery than to themselves and their own wellbeing?”

Meanwhile, Lindsay Sinclair, chief executive of NFU Mutual, which set up the Farm Safety Foundation, said: "The Farm Safety Foundation has trained over 8,500 young farmers in colleges and YFCs across the country. It’s great to see the next generation becoming more actively engaged in a really practical way to embrace a better attitude to farm safety but changing a culture takes time and commitment.

"With 47 per cent of all agricultural worker fatalities occurring in the over 60s age group, there is quite literally a crying need for all of us to think how we can step up our own efforts to make a difference more quickly."