Personal data on 32,000 farmers missing

OTTAWA, June 5 (UPI) -- Prairie farmers in Canada are upset the federal government waited two months to tell them a laptop computer containing their personal data was missing.

Agriculture Canada sent letters to nearly 32,000 canola producers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia saying equipment was stolen in March containing their names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mails, bank account numbers, Social Insurance numbers and income and asset details, the Winnipeg Sun reported.

The letter said the laptop was stolen from an undisclosed, remote location in Manitoba.

"They've known this since then and they're only getting the letters out now?" said Cindy Kellendonk, a Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, canola producer. "I don't want to find out a mortgage has been taken out on our farm."

Agriculture Canada spokesman Sean Malone said there were security features on the laptop, but a sophisticated hacker could likely bypass them.

So far, there have been no reports of identity theft among the farmers, the report said.