The Royal Bank of Scotland is increasing support for agricultural customers in anticipation of further dry weather putting growing pressure on farm businesses, crop yields, feed availability and cashflow.
While parts of Scotland have seen heavy rainfall in recent days, parts of the country, particularly in the East, are in or close to Significant Scarcity levels according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Sustained high temperatures can lead to reduced yields, earlier harvests, water shortages and rising operational pressures for farmers.
In response, the Royal Bank’s specialist agriculture team is proactively engaging with customers and making a range of tailored financial support measures available to help farming businesses manage both immediate pressures and longer-term resilience. While the Royal Bank of Scotland is not currently seeing a significant increase in demand for support, the Bank anticipates enquiries increasing later in the season as farming businesses evaluate the financial and operational effects of prolonged dry weather.
A key part of the Bank's support is its network of named specialist agriculture Relationship Managers, who work directly with farming customers across the country. This relationship-led approach gives customers access to dedicated sector expertise and a trusted point of contact who understands their business and can provide tailored support when challenges arise.
Support available for eligible Royal Bank of Scotland agricultural customers includes:
- Loan repayment holidays
- Interest rate reductions
- Temporary emergency lending facilities with no arrangement fees
- Overdraft support
- Working capital solutions
- Access to specialist agriculture relationship managers
- Funding support for investments that improve business resilience, productivity and sustainability, such as water storage and reservoir projects that help capture water during wetter months for use during periods of drought
As one of Scotland's biggest banks for agriculture, the Royal Bank is helping farming businesses manage the impact of today's weather extremes while investing in the resilience needed for the future.
Ian Burrow, Head of Agriculture at NatWest Group, said: "Farmers are increasingly being forced to manage the consequences of weather extremes, from flooding one season to sustained dry spells the next. The challenge for many businesses is no longer simply recovering from a single event but building resilience for a future where these conditions are becoming more frequent.
"While we are not yet seeing a material increase in demand for support, we expect pressures on some farming businesses to build over the coming weeks and months. With harvests progressing earlier than usual in some areas and livestock farmers already relying on winter feed stocks due to poor grass growth, cashflow and feed availability could become increasingly challenging. Through our network of named specialist agriculture Relationship Managers, we're ready to provide tailored support and guidance to customers as those pressures emerge."