Agriculture a “shining light” for NZ economy, says ANZ CEO Antonia Watson
ANZ's chief executive Antonia Watson says agriculture has proven to be “a shining light” for New Zealand’s economy.
ANZ has taken out CANSTAR's Best Agribusiness Bank award for 2015 – the fourth consecutive year it has won the award.
The award goes to the institution that provides the best combination of products and services to agribusiness customers.
CANSTAR New Zealand general manager Jose George says ANZ continues to strengthen its relevance to the agri sector.
"We were really impressed with how ANZ engages with its agri community through free educational seminars and customer workshops. We also like the fact that ANZ has dedicated agri managers in every part of the country," he says.
"ANZ stands out with their rural finance offerings ranging from a Farm Start-up Package through to their Supply Chain Finance. Taking home the award for the fourth year in a row is a considerable achievement; one that ANZ should be very proud of."
Graham Turley, ANZ's managing director commercial & agri says that winning the award recognises the depth of the expertise and quality of the products the bank offers.
"Our business term loans, credit cards and cash management accounts were stand-out features that helped secure this award."
"We were also recognised for our disaster relief support, environmental loans and work in the community," he says.
Turley says the award is a tremendous reflection of the hard work and commitment of everyone in the sector who provides support for the New Zealand agribusiness industry.
Three New Zealand agritech companies are set to join forces to help unlock the full potential of technology.
As the sector heads into the traditional peak period for injuries and fatalities, farmers are being urged to "take a moment".
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.

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