Saskatchewan farmers are 3X more likely to lose time due to injuries compared to any other industry in the province.
APAS and the Co-operators and The Edge Benefits are partnering together to offer APAS members income protection and business overhead expense coverage in the event of an injury.
“Even though we encourage producers to take every safety precaution, accidents do still happen, and we want to make sure that our members are protected,” says Todd Lewis, APAS president.
The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association calls farming a ‘dangerous occupation’ and estimates that agriculture is the fourth most hazardous industry in Canada.
“People typically think of insurance as a way of protecting their physical assets like equipment,” says Scott Moffatt, chief business development officer of The Edge Benefits, “but don’t always consider insuring their most important asset – the people, or in this case, themselves and their farm hands.”
APAS members now have exclusive access to a Basic Disability Package that is completely customizable to their needs and costs as little as $2/day. APAS members also have the option to add Business Overhead Coverage for Injuries at a special rate. This extra protection provides monthly reimbursement for fixed operating expenses such as lease payments, interest on debt, utilities, equipment rental, employee salaries, and more – including the ability to hire a replacement farmer – to ensure the farm continues to thrive during unexpected absences.
“Every year there’s a story about a farmer who gets injured and his neighbours rally together to help,” says Jamie Bohach, director of member and key client relations for The Co-operators. “While farmers are part of a strong network, not everyone has the same access to the network and every farmer should consider alternatives to keep their farm operation going in the event of an accident or injury.”
For more information and to purchase coverage, APAS members can contact The Edge Benefits at 1-877-531-EDGE (3343) or apas@edgebenefits.com, or reach out to a local Co-operators Financial Advisor.
