What steps are you taking to remain competitive and resilient in the face of domestic and global challenges?
When I recently joined ANZ, I was immediately impressed by the team – a highly talented and highly dedicated group of bankers who know the agricultural sector inside and out.
I come from a rural background myself – our family farm in Darfield has been around for over 120 years – so I understand the value of long-term relationships.
And it is these lasting relationships, often spanning decades or even generations, that underpin the team's efforts to support our customers.
From their ability to provide sound advice and insights based on data, to benchmarking and a wealth of personal knowledge, we know it's all about teamwork.
We find that technical and business advice on efficiency and productivity can help our farmers get the most out of their business, with the same or even less input.
As our global competitors innovate and adapt at breakneck speed, we cannot afford to stand still.
We encourage clients to continue to take this long-term view, but with built-in short-term action plans and a few milestones to celebrate successes.
Resilience is always key. We are very aware that agriculture has cycles. There will always be ups and downs and it is essential to anticipate these.
It is also important to have a strong relationship with your banking partner. Open dialogue and collaboration are essential during such cycles.
And we all know the famous Kiwi saying: “She'll be right”, but sometimes our mental and emotional resilience needs a little more attention too.
Organisations like the Rural Support Trust, which ANZ is proud to support, do extraordinary work in bringing farmers across the country in for a chat and a break.
Matt Chisholm's Time Out Tour, which has toured across the country, is reportedly a huge success.
We also invest in initiatives like AgriZeroNZ, which is committed to researching and developing new tools and technologies to help our farmers remain internationally competitive while reducing their emissions.