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The recently announced inquiry is well placed to shine a bright light on parts of the rural banking system that, until now, have been allowed to operate in the shadows.
OPINION: Finally we have a government that is brave enough to tackle the big banks on how they treat their rural clientele.
For too long the farming sector has had concerns about the levels of competition, profitability and transparency in rural lending. Concerns about banking have consistently topped the list of issues in Federated Farmers' regular farm confidence survey.
The recently announced inquiry is well placed to shine a bright light on parts of the rural banking system that, until now, have been allowed to operate in the shadows.
Federated Farmers notes that any concerns they had about just how 'rural' this inquiry would be have been well and truly put to bed with these terms of reference.
Everything they hoped to see included is in there, including questions about rural banking competition, transparency mechanisms, credit risk models, and open banking. There are also some very specific questions about the return on capital banks are getting from rural lending and the level of interest rates charged to the sector.
There's also rural accessibility to digital banking services. Rural banking customers are being short-changed with regular bank branch and ATM closures making even basic banking tasks difficult - simple things such as cash withdrawals and deposits, access to personal banking services over loans and mortgages and small businesses having to travel long distances to bank their takings and maintain a cash float.
Figures from the Reserve Bank show that over the past 20 years there has been an up to 45% contraction of bank branch and ATM numbers across New Zealand, leaving 95 towns unbanked and underbanked.
While the trend is to push customers to do more of their banking online or on the phone, for many rural communities, poor digital connectivity remains a big impediment. Farmers have been crying out for a banking inquiry. Over the next four weeks, ensure your submission reaches Parliament. It's time to find some genuine, practical and rapid solutions on rural banking.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
Leading figures from the major political parties will be questioned on their primary sector policies at the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, on 30 September.
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When Northland leather worker Vernon Suckling started making horse saddles 50 years ago, quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles were unheard of.
Alliance Group has confirmed that eligible farmer-shareholders who supply and continue to back the business will receive up to $20 million later this year, following the strategic investment partnership with Dawn Meats.
With a general election under five weeks away, Rural News is asking major political parties about their policies and positions on key issues facing the primary sector. We will run their responses to each question over the next four weeks. The ACT Party and the Greens didn't respond in time.
The red meat sector is in great heart.
Entries opened on Monday, 5 October 2026 for the 2027 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA), which organisers describe as the nation's biggest celebration of excellence in the dairy sector.
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