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.
Heartland Bank has launched a term loan to serve farmers.
The new term loan, named Sheep & Beef Direct, is designed for established farmers looking to buy or refinance a sheep or beef farm and will be available online.
This is the newest of Heartlands’ digital lending products.
“Not all Kiwi farmers are able to spend hours on the phone or schedule multiple meetings with a relationship manager,” said Heartland Bank chief executive officer Chris Flood.
“Sheep & Beef Direct is intended to relieve some of the pressure on those farmers who need to arrange finance for the farm, but struggle to find the time to do so.”
The launch comes at a time when rural lending is on its fastest downturn since 1992, according to data from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
“With rural lending on a steady decline, customers may be looking into other options that better meet their needs,” said Flood.
He says the new Sheep & Beef Direct term loan is a cost-effective alternative for farmers.
The loan offers up to five years interest only or 25-year terms with revolving credit options.
The interest rate is capped at 4.20% per annum for 12 months and the bank says there are no set up fees attached.
Farmers will get an opportunity to hear about the latest developments in sheep genetics at the Sheep Breeder Forum this May.
Specialist horticulture and viticulture weather forecasters Metris says the incoming Cyclone Vaianu is likely to impact growers across the country.
A group of old Otago uni mates with a love of South Island back-country have gone the lengths of Waiau Toa Clarence from source to sea. Tim Fulton, who joined the group in the final fun to the river mouth, tells their story.
Operating with a completely different format from conventional tractors and combine harvesters, the NEXAT prime mover combines all steps of crop production in one modular carrier vehicle, from tillage, through seeding to harvesting.
Reports of severe weather forecast to move over the vast majority of New Zealand’s kiwifruit orchards this weekend will be very concerning for a significant number of growers.
Seeka chief executive Michael Franks says while it's still early days in terms of the kiwifruit harvest, things are looking pretty good.

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