Question 1

Can I finance livestock as well as equipment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Dairy herds, breeding stock and replacement heifers can be funded, alongside the housing, parlour and handling equipment around them.

Livestock finance sits with a narrower group of funders than machinery, so it is worth telling us early what the split between stock and kit looks like.

Question 2

How is a robotic milking installation funded?

Accepted Answer

Usually over five to seven years, which lines the payment up with the labour saving the robots are bought to deliver. Installation, feed systems and the associated building works can normally be rolled into the same facility. Funders will want the projected yield and cow numbers behind the investment — not a full business plan, but enough to see how it pays for itself.

Question 3

Can payments follow the milk cheque or store sales?

Accepted Answer

Monthly payments suit dairy well because income arrives monthly. Beef and sheep businesses more often take biannual or stepped profiles weighted to store and finished sales. Tell us how the money actually comes in and we will structure to it rather than defaulting to twelve equal payments.

Question 4

What about slurry stores and NVZ compliance work?

Accepted Answer

Slurry stores, covers, separators, umbilical systems and the associated concrete works are all fundable, and demand has risen sharply with tightening storage requirements. Where grant funding covers part of the cost we can finance the balance and time the drawdown around the grant payment.

Question 5

I have never used a finance broker before. Is it more hassle?

Accepted Answer

Less, in our experience. You complete one application and one conversation with us. We then approach the funders on your behalf, rather than you filling in separate forms for your bank, the dealer's finance arm and anyone else you might have approached. We handle the paperwork, the funder's questions and the chase-up, and we come back to you with the options set out plainly. You keep the decision; we do the legwork. It also protects your credit file. Rather than several lenders searching you in a short space of time, we place the proposal with the funders most likely to say yes to that particular asset and business.

Question 6

What types of assets can be funded?

Accepted Answer

Broadly, anything identifiable, durable and used for business purposes. In practice that means: tractors; combines and harvesters; balers, mowers and forage equipment; telehandlers and loaders; ATVs, side-by-sides and utility vehicles; grain handling, storage and drying plant; livestock housing, feeding and handling equipment; milking parlours and robotic milking systems; irrigation and water management; groundscare machinery including greens mowers, fairway units, sprayers and top dressers; construction plant such as excavators, dumpers and rollers; commercial vehicles, vans and trailers; solar arrays, battery storage and other renewables; and IT, software and telematics. If an asset is unusual we will say so early. Specialist or bespoke equipment can usually be funded, though the funder panel narrows and the structure may differ.

Agriculture Livestock finance

Finance for every category of agriculture livestock equipment

Agriculture Livestock equipment we fund every week

Categories we regularly fund

Agriculture Livestock finance: common questions

Ready to fund agriculture livestock equipment?