High costs of production and prohibitive farm debts should be making farmers more business oriented than they are often portrayed.

Bank-bashing has become a new sport for many in the rural community, but how fair is this really? I agree that there have been some overzealous and possible even unscrupulous bankers who ‘encouraged’ famers to buy next door or to expand their farming operations, but where were their advisors in the decision making process? Are we to believe that as farm owners we have no say in the borrowing process?

It is time that the farming community stands together and recognizes farming as a business first and foremost and that with this comes fiscal responsibilities such as understanding our costs of production, return on investment and how much debt can be paid for out of cash-flow.

Banks need to do their part in recognizing the role that they have played in this whole process, and the role that they continue to have. Charging farmers higher interest rates when they are struggling to pay their mortgage already, is daft and often premeditates the downward spiral. Many banks do, however, recognize that many farm incomes have decreased due to adverse weather conditions and recent cost hikes as many people struggle to meet the cost of living.

Rural professionals must come to the party and be more open with their clients about the decisions they are making and less time worrying about offending the bill payer.

No one wins when there is a mortgagee sale and our economy cannot afford to have the price drop out of agricultural land. There is valid concern that fire-sales will enable more off-shore ownership as Kiwis don’t have the capital to take advantage of these opportunities.

Let us all take a good hard look at what is going on behind the scenes and acknowledge that we all have a role to play in ensuring that the business of farming becomes more professionalised, no matter who we are or where we sit in the industry.