Agriculture News Archives

Keystone Agricultural Producers reminds farmers to prepare now for safe equipment operation on roads and highways.

“With warmer temperatures predicted, seeding is finally in sight,” said KAP president Doug Chorney. “Before it’s upon us, I urge farmers to review their plans for getting equipment safely to their fields.”

Components of a plan should include:

• Ensuring all machinery is equipped with proper lighting, signage and reflectors (as required in the Highway Traffic Act).
• Ensuring lights, signage, and reflectors are visible and clean.
• Using a pilot vehicle when transporting oversized  equipment.
• Whenever possible, moving equipment during the day on secondary roads.
• Ensuring equipment will fit under power lines along the road and in your yard, and on bridge structures along your route (check width and height).
• Mapping out your route before transporting equipment, and getting appropriate permits from Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation where applicable.

“Every year there are road accidents involving farmers and farm machinery – and these are preventable incidents,” Chorney noted. “Let’s take the proper precautions, so that we can all come home safely to our families at the end of the day.”