Agricultural banking

boy jack

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Norfolk
Hi all.
Here in Norfolk we've lost our Barclays agricultural managers,and have to use a centralised agricultural team, no more discussing rates over coffee and hobnobs.
How are others getting on with banks and are they doing the same thing.
Cheers
 

BrianV

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dartmoor
Think the majority of us are very fortunate to have started out when we did, a friendly bank manager who often knew your family & would often lend with word of mouth over the phone. You have to feel sorry for youngsters starting out today with useless computerised bank procedures, call this progress you must be joking, there must be an opening for a good traditional bank who would surely clean up on business loans!
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
Think the majority of us are very fortunate to have started out when we did, a friendly bank manager who often knew your family & would often lend with word of mouth over the phone. You have to feel sorry for youngsters starting out today with useless computerised bank procedures, call this progress you must be joking, there must be an opening for a good traditional bank who would surely clean up on business loans!

Sadly it's the same with so many businesses versions of "customer service". It's gone backwards fast.
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
Hi all.
Here in Norfolk we've lost our Barclays agricultural managers,and have to use a centralised agricultural team, no more discussing rates over coffee and hobnobs.
How are others getting on with banks and are they doing the same thing.
Cheers
I think if you have borrowed alot of money you will still have a dedicated manager. Most banks are the same now though.
 

boy jack

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Norfolk
My first bank manager looked like Arthur Lowe sitting behind a big desk moving through the on farm shooting types to the young enthusiastic app types all interested in farming and knowledgeable.
Seems odd that the banks can access a farming business over the phone.
Maybe I'm just old!
 
When I started out mumble mumble years ago , Barclays had a manager who , most importantly would see you in his office with no notice , as a normal day to day thing . I was like a good many on and off here , a bit strapped for cash flow . I asked him one day for an overdraft of £3,00 to buy some cattle when they were still a bit cheaper waiting for Spring grass . He said "I won't ask for security , I call this a character loan , based on my assessment of you as a person . If you don't repay the money , no one will come chasing you , we'll just write it off to experience . Barclays DO NOT want the world to know that they have unreliable customers ." I paid it back within the stipulated period , and fortunately , I've never needed to ask again ., but somehow , I can't see a similar scenario applying today !
 

Mc115reed

Member
Livestock Farmer
With NatWest and you can’t even get a bank manager assigned too you unless you can show a certain level of turn over never mind a specialist agriculture manager... getting a phone call back off somebody with half a brain is hard enough never mind trying too explain too them how agriculture works 🤦‍♂️
 
When I started out mumble mumble years ago , Barclays had a manager who , most importantly would see you in his office with no notice , as a normal day to day thing . I was like a good many on and off here , a bit strapped for cash flow . I asked him one day for an overdraft of £3,00 to buy some cattle when they were still a bit cheaper waiting for Spring grass . He said "I won't ask for security , I call this a character loan , based on my assessment of you as a person . If you don't repay the money , no one will come chasing you , we'll just write it off to experience . Barclays DO NOT want the world to know that they have unreliable customers ." I paid it back within the stipulated period , and fortunately , I've never needed to ask again ., but somehow , I can't see a similar scenario applying today !
A three pound overdraft and never needed since ???
There was some money in cattle then ??
 

pappuller

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
M6 Hard shoulder
Anyone using oxbury who advertised heavily on here. We are NatWest seam ok, we have a manager.
We have asked them to quote for an upcoming project, had an on farm meeting with them to discuss, they seem enthusiastic but we shall see how competitive they are compared to our present bank.
 

cattleman123

Member
Location
devon
Llyods are a waste of space, unless you are turning over millions, no ag team for smaller farms just a commercial call centre in Scotland, seems like you have to chase them all the time to get anything done, most have no understanding of agriculture in any way shape or form, very frustrating!
How strange...i find Lloyds excellent not that i am in contact with anyone much these days ...had a call couple months back asking if their was anything they could help with have the guys number he said call at anytime weekends or evening his phone is always on ,if it was not for them i always say i would not have very much...top top bank
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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