ANZ - Agribusiness Bank of the Year for 7th year running

ANZ - Agribusiness Bank of the Year for 7th year running

ANZ have been named as the CANSTAR Agribusiness Bank of the Year for the seventh consecutive year.

In a year where New Zealand’s rural communities and farms have faced drought, flood and now biosecurity threats, Primary Industries, which includes the agri-sector, although taking a hit, is still responsible for generating in the region of five percent of New Zealand’s GDP[1].

“12 months ago, we were talking about our agricultural economy looking up” says Canstar general manager Jose George. “And although we have had some positives – such as the recovery and stabilising of milk prices – many rural communities are now facing uncertainty with the recent announcement that an eradication program for Mycoplasma Bovis will be taking place over the coming weeks and months.”

In addition to natural disasters, the emergence of Mycoplasma Bovis, coupled with the Reserve Bank’s recent warning to lenders to demonstrate prudence around further lending to the sector, means that the importance of specialist financial expertise is paramount. It is not simply a funding exercise, but a holistic approach to the support, management and development of agricultural sector in New Zealand.

George continues:
“Support in the harder times is vital and it’s pleasing to see the quick reaction of our banks offering affected farmers assistance packages and short-term funding. However, the Canstar Agribusiness Bank of the Year Award acknowledges much more than that. We consider a whole range of product and institutional factors that make up an outstanding provider.”

This year, Canstar is delighted to once again announce ANZ as the Agribusiness Bank of the Year.

As well as offering a comprehensive suite of products, the largest network of agribusiness relationship managers in the country and educational support that includes a regular agri- economy report, ANZ also offers extensive benchmarking services that enable customers to gauge their performance against their peers.

Accepting the award, ANZ Commercial and Agri Managing Director Mark Hiddleston said:

“We’ve won the CANSTAR award for seven years running now and we’ve achieved this by always looking over the horizon and understanding how we can support our agri clients.

“The environment is one of the things ANZ cares about most and this year we’ve invested a lot of effort to support our agri customers as they transition to more environmentally sustainable farming models,” says Mark.

“With the widest network of agribusiness banking specialists throughout the country, we’re well-placed to continue to support the agri sector into the future.”

For further information and for a full copy of the Agribusiness Bank of the Year Report 2018, please click here

ENDS

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