Agriculture Finance

Agriculture finance for agriculture businesses

Farming and agri-businesses operate in one of the UK's most capital-intensive sectors, with significant investment required in machinery, equipment, land, and infrastructure.

MAF Finance Group works with agricultural businesses of all sizes to arrange funding solutions tailored to the demands of rural and farming operations  from hire purchase and finance leases for new or used machinery, to agricultural loans, asset refinance, and development finance for longer-term projects.

With access to a whole-of-market lender panel and dedicated agricultural finance expertise, we source competitive terms for straightforward and complex cases alike, managing the process from initial enquiry through to drawdown.

Dedicated team of Agriculture Finance Experts

Our specialist agriculture finance team is led by Stuart Buchan who has over 28 years of experience in the finance industry and over 16 years within agriculture finance.  Stuart has headed up our agriculture team for the past 6 years since joining BTG , he previously worked for Lombard.

The agriculture team can help with any financial needs that a range of businesses might have. This includes a wide variety of agriculture assets, from cultivators, tractors, and combine harvesters to livestock, robotic milking machines and crop sprayers. 

What is Agricultural Finance?

Agriculture finance comes in multiple different formats. Whether it’s an unsecured loan for a farm or getting finance to purchase dairy herds or combine harvesters.

Our specialist agriculture team will be able to help with any financial requirements you may have.

We can arrange finance for a wide range of agricultural assets, from cultivators, tractors and combine harvesters to livestock, robotic milking machines and crop sprayers, and we’ll guide you through every part of the agriculture finance process.

As well as arranging funding for the purchase of new and used agricultural equipment, we can also look at alternative options like restructuring existing finance agreements or providing flexible seasonal payment options.

With the government’s target of being carbon net zero by 2050, we are also keen on working with businesses who are looking to utilise renewable energy.

Some of the agriculture equipment we can finance

We offer a range of agriculture finance solutions, including:

Combine Harvester Finance – Combine harvesters are vital for efficiently harvesting a variety of grain crops and there are many types of available.

Dairy Herd Finance – You may want to replace some of your existing cows or expand your herd.

Tractor Finance – Tractors are the lifeblood of any farm and are vital to the success of a lot of agricultural businesses. With no age limitation, any tractors or other machinery that you’re looking at purchasing can be new or used and supplied by either a specialist dealer or bought privately.

Harvester Finance – A wheeled harvester can provide an efficient and safe way to improve productivity when tree harvesting in any forest condition.

Woodchipper Finance – A shredder or woodchipper is an ideal way to dispose of branches and forestry and gives you the opportunity to turn wood into chippings that can be easily transported, composted or burned as fuel.

Agriculture Equipment Finance – Whether it’s a crop sprayer, hedge cutter or milking robot, agriculture equipment finance covers all the equipment you might need to expand your business.

Farmland Finance - With acreage and property opportunities often coming up in the world of agriculture, ensuring that finance is secured quickly is key in purchasing the farmland you need.

How does agriculture finance work?

We work with you and the lender of choice to determine the required loan amount, with the lender specifying the terms and conditions. Following your acceptance of the terms and conditions, you will get the full amount and typically make monthly repayments with interest for the specified period of time.

Why may you require agricultural finance?

• Adaptation to regulations
• Climate change
• Consumer preferences
• Expansion of production (including land purchase)
• Higher market share
• Improve economies of scale
• Increase competitiveness
• Modernising farm and machinery to increase efficiency
• Reduce costs

How long does it take to secure agriculture finance?

Agricultural finance often varies and depends on the business and type of finance required. It might take a few weeks or may require several months of planning. Applicants for agriculture finance should have all their accounts in order and available for inspection, just like with any other type of business funding. Bank statements, the last three to five years’ worth of certified accounts, business plans, and specifics on assets and liabilities can all be required.

Secured borrowing, which necessitates the value of the collateral prior to terms being agreed upon, will take longer to obtain than unsecured finance.

It can take a long time to approve loans to establish a farm. A new farmer needs a strong business plan, cost and revenue estimates, and an excellent credit history both personally and in any prior businesses if they have no prior experience. Established farmers looking to mortgage existing property or buy new land might receive a response more quickly, but they should still anticipate a few weeks.

Through out this process the our agriculture team will help and guide you through the process, co-ordinate between you and the lender and make the application as streamlined and efficient as possible.

Applying for agriculture finance

We works with a wide panel of banks and alternative finance providers to deliver the most competitive and flexible solution for you.

If you would like to get a quote or need further information, simply fill in the form and we will contact you. If you want to speak to someone directly, you can call us on 0115 958 6872 and a member of our team will be happy to speak to you. Alternatively, email us at [email protected]