UK Ag Lender Oxbury Enters New Zealand with Livestock Finance Focus
Specialist agriculture lender Oxbury has entered the New Zealand market, offering livestock finance to farmers.
OPINION: Noted economist and self-promoter Cameron Bagrie took one look at KPMG's recently released Financial Institutions Performance Survey on banks and zeroes in one key number that suggests banks are so risk averse in this country that they are probably stifling growth and innovation.
That number is 0.08%, the ratio of impaired asset expense to average gross loans and advances.
Bagrie says this is incredible considering the economy is supposed to have experienced the worst economic climate since the global financial crisis.
"What risk have banks been taking?" he asks.
The low impairment charges and lift in banks' profitability tells a fundamentally different story relative to the economy's performance.
"We are not going to get an appetite to take risk in this economy - which is desperately needed - if the banking sector is not on board taking risk."
A verbal stoush has broken out between Federated Farmers and a new group that claims to be fighting against cheaper imports that undermine NZ farmers.
According to the latest ANZ Agri Focus report, energy-intensive and domestically-focused sectors currently bear the brunt of rising fuel, fertiliser and freight costs.
Having gone through a troublesome “divorce” from its association and part ownership of AGCO, Indian manufacturer TAFE is said to be determined to be seen as a modern business rather than just another tractor maker from the developing world.
Two long-standing New Zealand agricultural businesses are coming together to strengthen innovation, local manufacturing capability, and access to essential farm inputs for farmers across the country.
A new farmer-led programme aimed at bringing young people into dairy farming is under way in Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
The Government has announced changes to stock exclusion regulations which it claims will cut unnecessary costs and inflexible rules while maintaining environmental protections.
OPINION: Reckless action by Greenpeace in 2024 forced Fonterra to shut down a drying plant for four hours, costing the co-op…
OPINION: The global crusade against fossil fuel is gaining momentum in some regions.