Agricultural specialist WFI Insurance has warned of a rising injury toll on farms, saying livestock-related claims have risen 40% to the highest number this decade.

This year’s WFI-backed Farmsafe Australia Safer Farms Report finds agriculture still records the highest number of deaths by industry and is among the worst for injuries.

There were 53 deaths on farms last year, with tractors, quad bikes and side-by-side utility vehicles the leading cause.

This takes the death toll to 427 since 2019. One life is lost on a farm every six days, the industry says.

The report, launched alongside National Farm Safety Week, says in the 2026 financial year, WFI’s farm-related claims dropped about 5%.

But the insurer notes “injuries on farms continued to escalate at a concerning pace”.

Impact-related claims were up 8% for the year.

WFI says grain-sheep and grain-beef farming “continue to be our most frequent incident sectors, comprising 44% of all claims”. 

The leading causes of injuries were being hit by animals and moving objects, and falling from heights.

Hands accounted for most injuries by body part, and fractures were the leading injury type. Knee injuries were more prominent in 2025-26, happening at twice the rate of 2024-25. Trauma and soft tissue injuries increased by about 14%.

WFI Insurance EGM Damien Gallagher says the report is an important resource to help reduce risk, save lives and strengthen safety culture on farms.

Farmsafe Australia chair Felicity Richards says accidents can happen during busy periods or when pressure leads to shortcuts.

“Most incidents don’t happen because people don’t care about safety,” she said.

WFI workers’ compensation claims data supports this: accidents spike on grain farms during harvesting season, up 43% on average from October to December compared with prior months.

“Simple safety actions such as wearing helmets, fastening seatbelts and taking regular breaks to manage fatigue will help keep our farming communities safe,” Mr Gallagher said.