Category: Rural finance (page 2 of 2)

What are the benefits of Agricultural Finance?

What are the benefits of agricultural finance?

As a farmer, it can be difficult  to purchase the equipment and machinery you need. The costs can be huge and can eat into capital that is much needed for other necessities. You may not be aware, but there is a solution to this in the form of agricultural finance. Outlined below is the importance of agricultural finance.

Farmers need to purchase new inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation water and more. Agricultural finance can help to make these purchases easier for farmers. If the seed of a high yielding crop is readily available for farmers, then the productivity of the farm is improved.

Smaller farms may not have the need for agricultural finance for items such as seeds or pesticides but larger farms may need help with bulk purchases of these items. Seeds, fertilizers and irrigation water can prove to be a highly expensive continuing need which agricultural finance can help to meet.

You can cover land costs

If you are looking to buy new farmland as a budding farmer or simply increase the amount of land you already have, then agricultural finance can help cover the land costs you may incur. The land you need will depend on the type of farming you are planning on doing.

In order to apply for finance for land, you will need to calculate how much land you need and what kind of land you are looking for. Once you have your loan approved, you will be able to move forward with your endeavour. Buying land with your own money may not be feasible as a start-up farm, which is why finance is a good option.

You are better equipped for a crisis

Farming can be a difficult business. You are never able to predict what will happen to your crops or livestock, and are at the mercy of customers and competitors. Some farming is seasonal, which means you may only earn money during certain times of the year.

An agricultural loan can be used to protect yourself during the various ups and downs of your business. You can also use it for operational costs as well as costs that occur from damages. It is better to be prepared for every eventuality, which is why having agricultural finance is important to all working farms.

Finance Options

Typical Finance Types, uses and descriptions

1. Farm Finance, Rural Finance

An all embracing term we use to describe all types of farm and agricultural finance we offer in the rural and country business sectors and which can also be described as Agricultural Finance, Equestrian Finance, Farm Finance, Land Finance and Horticultural Finance. Finance can be provided for holiday complexes, caravan parks, caravan sites, properties with agricultural restrictions, land, buildings, working farms, non-working farms, nurseries, garden centres, smallholdings, estates, fisheries, farm shops and generally all types of rural type situations.

2. Agricultural Loan, Loan for Agriculture, Loans for Agriculture

More commonly described as an Agricultural Mortgage, Mortgage for Agriculture, Agricultural Re-mortgage or Re-mortgage for Agriculture being a loan secured by a first charge over property in UK, England. In some cases a loan may be secured by way of a second charge over this type of property.

3. Bridging Loan, Bridging Finance

This is a short-term arrangement whereby a loan is secured either by way of a first charge or second charge on property in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Usually, but not always, interest is rolled up or added to the account so that all the money is repaid by the end of the term, meaning that no monthly payments are made.

Rural Finance available from Richmond Asset Finance

Painless finance made possible with your own account manager

We understand that your time is valuable, so your dedicated account manager will work their hardest to undertake as much of the process as possible.

Richmond Asset Finance are a major funder of Dairy and Beef breeding cattle in the North West and surrounding areas. If you are replacing or expanding your dairy or beef herd we have funding available through Hire purchase and loans up to 48 months with no additional security required other than the livestock being financed.

Richmond Asset Finance are able to fund your cattle through:

  • Livestock markets
  • Farm to farm
  • Livestock brokers
  • Farm sales

We can provide effective farm finance strategies for various sized projects. With a general lack of lending in the marketplace, we offer a solution for farmers to source their funding needs.

‘Bounce back’ plan for agriculture, food and drink industry launched

The Government have announced that they will be supporting the agricultural, food and drink industry in the coming months following the COVID Pandemic.

The agriculture, food and drink industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing industry and plays a vital role in the UK’s food supply chain, which contributed £121 billion to the UK economy in 2018 – supporting around 4 million jobs. In 2019, UK food, feed and drink exports were worth £23.7bn – up 4.9% from 2018.

The measures introduced today will support producers, manufacturers and agri-tech companies across the food supply chain, from farm to fork, and has been developed with insight from the devolved administrations, trade associations, businesses and DIT’s regional and international networks.

The UK agriculture, food and drink industry has been significantly impacted by Coronavirus. Although it has done well to adapt, exports have been hit and the Government is committed to supporting this most important of industries get back into international markets and start growing market share once again.

For more information regarding the Governments plan, visit the GOV website HERE.

A broker with a farming background

Richmond Asset Finance are leading providers of finance to farmers and rural businesses in the North West, Leeds and Yorkshire. We understand and know the needs of the agricultural community and of specialists are here to help.

Unlike many commercial finance brokers and lenders offering finance to farming and rural communities Richmond Asset Finance has a genuine understanding and interest in agriculture, the countryside and rural communities.

Richmond Asset Finance help with Rural Finance including:

  • Livestock finance
    Our livestock experience covers dairy, beef, sheep and poultry. Our facility can be used repeatedly for auction purchases, B&B, heifer replacement or even new infrastructure.
  • Property renovation and repair
    We provide loans to help renovate and repair property assets, which result in capital appreciation or income generation.
  • Recovery and restructure
    We understand the need to take control and rationally plan when financial pressure is acute. Our facility can provide a window to achieve this.
  • Renewable energy
    We have considerable experience in financing AD, hydro, solar and wind power, for construction or operation.
  • Farm Diversification
    We understand the need to create new revenue streams and support all types of business diversification, from holiday lets through to farm shops or new crops.
  • Purchase of land
    We help farmers move quickly to secure land and expand their business, as acreage may come available at any time and often at short notice.

If you have an enquiry regarding rural and agricultural finance, contact us today.

Richmond Asset Finance Guide to Farm and Agriculture Finance

Richmond Asset Finance is a specialist business lender to the agricultural sector that offers traditional, responsible lending to farmers throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Farm finance is on the rise again and is becoming an attractive sector as farmers need loans that can be secured on real assets as farmers now need to find new sources of capital to sustain, grow and improve their businesses. Again we can help with asset finance and for equipment and various land and property finance is available too. Click here to view our services and solutions here.

Here are a few reasons why you may require Richmond Asset Finance Agricultural Finance:

  • Diversification, farmers need capital to diversify and build new businesses. Diversifying your enterprise can increase revenue and reduce risk. We understand this and the benefits it brings in the current market, as our team has direct experience of building new businesses.
  • Purchasing new farmland when additional acreage or a unique property opportunity may come available and often at short notice. Additional acreage or a unique property opportunity may come available at any time and often at short notice. Richmond Asset can move quickly to help you secure this and expand your business.
  • Property finance allows farmers to develop, renovate or repair property for capital appreciation and income generation. Are you making the most from your property? A loan from us could help you develop, renovate or repair property for capital appreciation and income generation.
  • Renewable energy projects can be a great source of additional income and add real value to under-utilised land on a farm, or even turn waste products into revenue. Renewable energy projects can be a great source of additional income and add real value to under-utilised land on your farm, or even turn waste products into revenue.
  • Livestock Finance is utilised by farmers to expand their livestock holdings. Once you decide that you’d like to expand your livestock holdings, our facility can provide a flexible option that can be used repeatedly, allowing you to make judicious purchases or sales, depending on the market.

Bridging Finance during the Covid19 Pandemic

How has the Coronavirus affected bridging finance?

Some bridging lenders have stopped lending

A number of bridging lenders have stopped providing bridging loans during the current Coronavirus pandemic. Many lenders have announced that they are temporarily stopping all new lending or restricting the size and types of loan that they offer.

Some current lending applications have been cancelled

Some lenders have cancelled on-going applications and have even pulled current offers where contracts have not been exchanged.  In some cases lenders are requiring customers to start the application process again from scratch.

Those still lending have reduced loan to values and loan sizes

Those lenders who are still offering bridging finance are being very cautious and have taken actions such as reducing their maximum loan sizes.  Maximum gross loan to values (LTVs) are down from 80% to around 60 to 65%.

‘Whole new business’

Farmers innovate to get food from field to plate during the coronavirus pandemic. A report from Reuters has explained the struggles that farmers currently face.

New recruits for seasonal work

Finding seasonal workers is a priority in Europe, where spring harvests are at risk because the usual vast armies of migrant labourers cannot leave home as all of the boarders are currently closed.

Spain, the European Union’s biggest fruit and vegetable exporter, has responded by allowing the unemployed to take farm jobs while keeping welfare payments, and has extended work permits for those migrants already in the country.

France has mobilised 15,000 French workers idled by the crisis so far to help offset a potential shortfall of 200,000 foreign labourers this spring. 

It has been suggested that farmers were frustrated that the new recruits lacked skills or had quickly quit. 

Poland, meanwhile, is struggling without Ukrainian seasonal labourers and the Russian Agriculture Ministry said prisoners might help out on farms in the absence of Central Asian workers. 

Germany, Britain and Ireland are allowing companies to bring in trained workers from Romania and other European Union states on charter flights with quarantine measures. 

U.S. President Donald Trump has exempted such migrants from a temporary curb on immigration during the crisis. 

Elsewhere, Nigeria’s federal government is making identity cards so farm workers can move freely during a national lockdown after many were stopped by police. 

Iraq’s Agriculture Ministry said farm workers were exempted from curfew measures and farmers were allowed to move harvesting machinery around the country. 

To keep transport links running smoothly, Brazilian toll-road operator CCR SA has distributed more than 1,000 food and hygiene kits a day to truck drivers as service outlets are closed. 

In Kenya, Rubi Ranch has been sending avocados to Europe by ship due to limited air freight capacity, as airlines have grounded aircraft and cut off the company’s usual supply route.

Farmers cannot be the forgotten heroes of the coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has amplified the uncertainty and fragility of the conditions within which farmers operate.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused us all to become acutely aware of our own mental health, as a “new normal” has emerged. In the UK, there is sharp focus on the mental health of keyworkers supporting the nation in an array of fields such as the NHS, social care and education, but one industry’s contribution that should not be overlooked is the farming and agricultural workforce.

Seasonal labour

Concerns around levels of seasonal labour also predates the pandemic, and concerns have been raised by those within the industry throughout the Brexit debate. UK seasonal farming has been chronically understaffed since the UK voted to Leave and the value of the pound fell. As has been widely documented, an estimated 70,000 seasonal workers are required throughout the year, and around 90 percent of those are from outside the UK. But with restrictions on travel due to coronavirus, farmers in the agricultural, horticultural and dairy industries in particular are reporting severe labour issues.

The Government recently launched its “Pick for Britain” campaign to mobilise a land army of British pickers to help fill farm vacancies. This did not come without concerns from farmers, as many seasonal workers are normally returnees, arriving at the start of the season fully trained in the necessary skills and machinery to hit the ground running. By stark contrast, training new UK recruits can be costly and initially result in lower productivity. Furthermore, recent reports note that, following tens of thousands of initial sign-ups, just 112 people were hired by UK farmers last week. Many applicants cited that they could not commit to the full length of the contract, farms were too far away, or they had caring responsibilities and therefore could not work long hours.

Change in consumer demand 

Changes in consumer demand during the coronavirus pandemic, with a move from out-of-home eating to more meals eaten at home – an estimated 500 million more per week – has resulted in some farmers losing their market overnight. This is down to difficulties in redirecting food produce once destined to the foodservice sector, as it been noted that consumers often wont replicate the meals that they would have had out of home, and there are issues with repackaging foods for retail. The impact on dairy farmers has been widely documented with videos of many having to pour away milk – an estimated 1m litres worth – along with the effects on the meat and horticulture sectors. Further to this, farmers have been faced with an increase in the theft of animals by criminals seeking to “cash in” on public concerns about food shortages.

To compound the challenges, the instruction by government to close B&B accommodation and farm cafés amongst other restrictions, and the subsequent loss in public demand, has also impacted farmers who have diversified their sources of income. These diverse streams of income are often vital to small farms’ survival, as many do not make a profit from their farming activity alone, so the financial consequences of this collapse will undoubtedly impact many in the sector.

Will Coronavirus affect my loan?

Loan and credit card payments to be frozen for three months in UK.

The financial regulator has announced plans to freeze loan and credit card payments for up to three months as part of emergency measures for consumers impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. They have also announced plans to help businesses that are struggling in the current climate.

The new measures which could come into force by 9th April is aimed at consumers and renters who are not benefiting from existing relief measures that have targeted homeowners – with mortgage payment holidays – or business owners.

The FCA has advised that banks and credit card providers will have to ensure that consumer credit ratings are unaffected by any of the measures.

If you are looking for a loan or bridging finance for your business in the agricultural sector. Feel free to give us a call or email us today and we will be happy to help!

Starting a Farm – Mortgages and Finance

Do you aspire to live in the country, where your partner will continue to work and you want to run a smallholding or are you starting a farm business?

Richmond Asset Finance often receives enquiries from customers who want to start a farm and we have the ideal farm loan for this type of scenario, whether short or long term Richmond Asset Finance can help.

Obtaining farm finance can be difficult, especially where accounting information may not be good enough for the banks.

You may qualify for finance on a long-term basis through Richmond Asset Finance, but we also have a great farm selection of loan products that fits the bill for a farm start-up.

What is farm finance?

An all embracing term we use to describe all types of farm and agricultural finance we arrange in the rural and country business sectors, which can also be described as agricultural finance, equestrian finance, land finance and horticultural finance, a farm mortgage or farm loan. Farm finance can be provided for farms of any size (with our without a farmhouse), holiday complexes, caravan parks, caravan sites, estates, land, buildings, working farms, non-working farms, nurseries, garden centres, smallholdings, estates, fisheries, farm shops, riding schools and generally all manner of rural properties or in some cases not so rural.

Why Richmond Asset Finance?

  • A well-established and reputable company.
  • A great team that will help you with every query you may have.
  • Hands on and experienced.
  • We work in partnership with our customers to help them achieve their goals.
  • References are readily available.

How to protect your tractor from theft

Your tractor is one of your farm’s most valuable and useful pieces of machinery, so it’s important to protect it from thieves.

Last year, rural crime in Britain hit a seven-year high, with theft of farm vehicles and livestock costing the UK £50m according to the insurance company NFU Mutual.

The report found that the sharp rise in rural crime was mainly caused by a huge increase in theft of tractors, quad bikes and farm vehicles, which rose by 26% between 2018 and 2019.

Tractors and other farm vehicles are often targeted by thieves because they have been left unsecured in an isolated and remote location, making them easy targets.

A stolen tractor is not only very expensive to replace, it will also cost your farm business in downtime as well as causing you a headache.

Don’t leave your tractor or other valuable farm vehicles unsecured, use the following tips to protect them from criminals.

Always store your tractor indoors

Where possible, always store your tractor in a locked building. Not only will this make it harder for thieves to access it, it will also help to maintain its condition and extend its lifespan.

Secure your boundaries

Don’t leave your perimeter open to thieves, install a high fence to make access more difficult. If your property is too large to install a boundary around the whole thing, then ensure that the area or building that your tractor is stored in is secured by a fence.

Use a wheel clamp

Always fit a wheel lock on your tractor when it is not in use to prevent thieves from driving it away.

Fit an alarm and tracking device

Fitting your tractor with a motion-detector alarm is an effective way of deterring criminals and preventing theft.

Security mark your vehicles

Use a service like DataTag to get a unique security ID to mark your tractor with, making it easy to identify if it is ever stolen.

If you require help or advice with financing a new tractor, speak to our team here at Richmond Asset Finance. We provide a range of flexible agricultural finance services to help you to grow your business. To discuss your requirements in more detail, give our team a call on 0113 288 3277.

5 reasons to invest in a mini excavator

Are you using your excavator to its full potential, or could you do the same job using a mini excavator?

Mini excavators are practical, affordable and hassle-free pieces of machinery.

Whilst they’re not always suitable for largescale jobs, if you can get away with using a mini excavator over a bigger wheeled, tracked or truck-mounted excavator then there are plenty of benefits to be had.

Manoeuvrability

The mini excavator is the perfect piece of machinery for working in small or tight spaces. It offers the same level of performance as a larger excavator but in a more compact and practical design. The small size of the mini excavator makes it nimble and agile on-site and means transportation is simple and hassle-free.

Easy to operate

Mini excavators tend to be very simple and intuitive to operate, reducing the amount of time required to train an operative to use the machinery and minimising the risk of errors being made.

Cost-saving

Mini excavators are more affordable to purchase and operate than their larger counterparts. They also offer higher fuel efficiency and lower fuel costs. Their relative ease of operation means training operatives will cost your business less time and money. 

More environmentally-friendly

The small size and increased fuel efficiency make mini excavators more environmentally friendly to run than larger excavators. They also produce less noise pollution, making them ideal for use in noise and pollution sensitive areas.

If you require help or advice with financing a mini excavator for your business, speak to our team here at Richmond Asset Finance. We provide a range of flexible vehicle finance and asset finance services to help you to grow your business. To discuss your requirements in more detail, give our team a call on 0113 288 3277.

Ideas for supplementing your farm income during the festive season

Cash-in on Christmas by diversifying your farm business during the festive season.

According to NatWest, two thirds of farms have now diversified their business to generate alternative revenue streams throughout the year and boost their income.

Many farms that have successfully diversified report that their additional ventures have become a vital part of their business.

Whilst the winter months are typically much quieter for agricultural businesses, with a little creativity they can offer excellent opportunities for exploring new business ideas.

Here are a few of our favourite ideas for diversifying your farm business during the festive period.

Holiday letting

Many families and friends book holidays and weekends away to meet up and celebrate together over the Christmas holidays. Rather than letting unused land or farm buildings stand empty and unused during the winter months, why not convert them into holiday lettings. This can be particularly lucrative if your farm is in a scenic location.

Grow Christmas trees

Nothing beats the smell of a real pine Christmas tree, and according to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association over 7 million trees are sold in the UK each year. Choose a type of fir tree that will thrive in your farm’s land and soil type and start growing fir trees to sell locally each Christmas.

Run Christmas events

If you’ve got the land and buildings, why not run a series of festive events for the public in the lead up to Christmas? Popular activities and events could include turning a kids’ petting zoo into Santa’s grotto, running kid’s Christmas craft activities or adult wreath making workshops.

Turkeys and geese

Rearing free-range turkeys and geese can provide an additional source of income around Christmas time when demand for high quality meats for Christmas dinner soars.

To find out if you can apply for rural finance to help with your diversification project, get in touch with our team here at Richmond Asset Finance to discuss your plan in more detail.

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