Wednesday, 17 July 2024 10:25

Under pressure

Written by The Hound

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

OPINION: On top of the rural banking inquiry, several as-yet-unnamed banks are facing a complaint to the Financial Markets Authority over their role in a government bond sale.

A similar case is underway in Australia as its corporate regulator ASIC investigates alleged manipulation of Aussie government debt.

Like yours truly, readers probably won’t be able to squeeze out a tear for the banks.

One farmer sent the Hound his own rules for dealing with banks: “Rule no.1 – They are not our friends. Rule no.2 – Refer to rule no.1.”

As the banks prep for the coming inquiry, they may feel it’s unwarranted.

But the evidence, anecdotal and from recent surveys, show that our friends in finance have a real perception problem with farmers that they need to address.

More like this

Federated Farmers hails rural banking report

Federated Farmers says the final report into banking competition is a significant step forward for rural New Zealand - and a vindication of the farming sector's concern.

Wrong focus

OPINION: Your old mate reckons townie Brooke van Velden, the Minister of Workplace (or is it Woke Place) Relations is now showing how underemployed she is as a minister by initiating an investigation into whether young children should be banned from collecting eggs on farms and feeding animals.

Burn the village

OPINION: There's an infamous term coined by a US general during the Vietnam war, specifically in reference to the battle of Ben Tre: "We had to burn the village to save it."

Purist problem

OPINION: The sudden departure of Jim Ward, manager of Molesworth Station for 24 years, highlighted some major dysfunction in the way conservation estate is managed in this country - the biggest problem, as the Hound sees it, being idealogues who harp on about "taonga" and use all means possible to block sensible commercial operations on conservation land.

Drill baby, drill!

OPINION: While the destruction of NZ's oil and gas industry by Jacinda Ardern's band of merry vandals was virtue signalling on a heroic scale - producing no environmental benefit whatsoever - the politician vowing to make that industry whole again, Shane Jones, is not above a bit of virtue signalling of his own.

Featured

Three new grower directors appointed to FAR board

Effective from 1 January 2026, there will be three new grower directors on the board of the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR).

Competition snares over 33,000 wild goats

The National Wild Goat Hunting Competition has removed 33,418 wild goats over the past three years.

New healthcare model needed to address rates of rural obesity

New Zealand needs a new healthcare model to address rising rates of obesity in rural communities, with the current system leaving many patients unable to access effective treatment or long-term support, warn GPs.

Storm-damaged trees still causing havoc in Southland

Southland farmers are being urged to put safety first, following a spike in tip offs about risky handling of wind-damaged trees

Ashburton dairy farmers reinvent their system with return to spring calving

Third-generation Ashburton dairy farmers TJ and Mark Stewart are no strangers to adapting and evolving.

Open Country opens butter plant

When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.