“Every farming customer participating in our First Farm programme will be matched with an experienced farmer mentor who has been through the highs and lows of herd or farm ownership and knows what it takes to make a farming business succeed,” Handley said.
“Every mentor-mentee relationship will be slightly different. But the one-on-one support from a proven operator in key areas such as business planning, budgeting, cashflow, governance, and people decisions will make a real difference from day one. Having someone in their corner with that hard-won experience, generously shared, will really make a difference for our industry participants.”
Supporting succession and sustainable growth
BNZ says First Farm aims to help tackle one of the sector’s biggest challenges – farm succession.
“Industry surveys show only one third of New Zealand farmers have a formal succession plan in place,” Handley said. “We know there are opportunities to make the next step into ownership more straightforward for the next generation while ensuring valuable farming knowledge isn’t lost.”
He said the programme’s dual approach – accessible bank funding and structured mentorship – helps bridge the gap between generations.