Rabobank 2026 Outlook: Geopolitics shapes global agriculture
The global agricultural landscape has entered a new phase where geopolitics – not only traditional market forces – will dictate agricultural trade flows, prices, and production decisions.
Rabobank says the relocation of the bank's head office to Hamilton marks a new chapter for the bank.
Rabobank New Zealand chief executive Todd Charteris says the bank is now located at heart of the vibrant Waikato food and agri region.
"The new Rabobank Centre will be a place where our employees, farmers and community leaders can come together to share ideas to further advance the industry and to help the bank's clients achieve their goals," he says.
"But this is about much more than opening a new office. It's about making a statement about who we are and what we stand for.
"It's about helping us embed a minset across out business centred on getting closer to our clients regardless of where we work across New Zealand, so we can make even better and more effective decisions for them."
Charteris says the Waikato is a real hub for food and agri innovation and development.
"We feel we are now ideally positioned to support our clients and to further grow our New Zealand business."
The new head office in Union Square houses employees: 50 head office staff based in Wellington previously joined in the new building by members of the Waikato regional team who had previously been based in the bank's Hamilton office on London Street.
Three New Zealand agritech companies are set to join forces to help unlock the full potential of technology.
As the sector heads into the traditional peak period for injuries and fatalities, farmers are being urged to "take a moment".
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.
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