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About 60 per cent of Alberta’s farms and ranches have registered for Workers’ Compensation Board coverage in advance of Saturday’s deadline, says the NDP labour minister.

Christina Gray said Wednesday she hopes all farms will eventually be covered by WCB so that farm workers are compensated for injuries on the job.

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“We’ve seen a good number of farm and ranch workers signing up,” she said. “It’s been ramping up as we get closer and closer to the deadline.”

She said the WCB and government will continue to work with farm and ranch owners to make sure they understand why they need to sign up.

Gray said they can apply for coverage through the WCB website on a form designed specifically for farmers and ranchers.

“We’ll continue to work with farm and ranch owners on education and awareness so that everyone can be served,” she said.

As of April 23, 2,495 farms have registered, covering a total of 10,876 farm workers, the ministry said Wednesday.