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ASB head of rural banking Aidan Gent is encouraging farmers to speak to their banks when they are struggling.
ASB has expanded its rural corporate business in the South Island with the appointment of two new rural corporate managers who both bring specialised regional knowledge to their roles.
Ray Parker has joined the ASB team and will be based in Dunedin. A qualified chartered accountant, Parker is former chief executive of Tasman Agriculture, which grew to become the world's largest pastoral dairy farm owning company with farms located in the South Island and Northwest Tasmania. Parker has also been employed by Fonterra Co-op Group as GM Shareholder Services and in 2002, developed his own businesses specialising in private investment and management consultancy work with a focus on NZ's commercial and rural sectors. Parker is looking forward to working with clients on the issues facing them and developing workable solutions that best fits their needs.
Andrew McGuckin has been appointed rural corporate manager. He will be based in Christchurch, having initially joined ASB Bank in Southland in November 2000 as a rural manager before returning to Christchurch to work with agri-businesses in the North Canterbury area. With a wealth of practical farming knowledge, McGuckin has developed his family's farming property in Waipara into a vineyard and is bringing his unique North Canterbury farming and rural banking experience to his clients in Canterbury and the upper South Island.
ASB's national manager for rural corporate Richard Hegan says, "In 2008, ASB was the first bank to establish a specialist rural corporate division specifically to look after the needs of both large scale and complex farming and agri-business customers. This division is resourced with the most experienced rural bankers and support teams to ensure the delivery of high quality outcomes for our customers. We are pleased to be increasing our commitment to rural businesses by increasing specialist staff with on-the-ground rural knowledge to provide unbeatable service and support to local agri-businesses and corporate farming operations."
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.