Associated Press - October 8, 2009 3:45 PM ET

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Virginia official says safety education and parental supervision are likely behind a steep drop in the rate of injuries to children living on farms.

A study by the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety found the injury rate per 1,000 youths living on Virginia farms fell 44% between 1998 and 2006.

Bruce Stone, the Virginia Farm Bureau's safety manager, says farms are very hazardous and parents are able to foresee risks through better awareness.

Stone says it's important to never ask children to perform a task they aren't ready to handle.

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