BNZ Launches First Farm Funding Boost Scheme
Bank of New Zealand (BNZ)will expand its First Farm support with a new funding boost designed to help more farmers and growers take their next step into farm ownership.
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."
Oamaru-based livestock handling specialist Te Pari has bought Combi Clamp, the New Zealand manufacturer of Combi Clamp manual sheep handlers.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has admitted that a scheme bringing workers from Pacific nations to work on orchards has become too hard to navigate but says changes are coming.
A new app designed in New Zealand aims to help sheep, beef and deer farmers capture, analyse and use body condition score data more effectively.
Canterbury farmer Andy Macfarlane has been appointed to the board of AgriZeroNZ, the public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development and deployment of emissions reduction tools for New Zealand farmers.
For over 50 years Mel Ewers has been supporting the apple sector navigate through compliance and quality assurance issues.
The apple sector is enjoying a bumper harvest season.
OPINION: City and regional councils have been put on notice - stop using extreme climate forecasting scenarios that can drive…
OPINION: The Green Party’s rivers and oceans policy may have a new name but nothing else has changed.