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Rabobank farm financial skills workshops coming to Mackay and Ayr

Primary producers in the Mackay and Ayr districts have the opportunity to expand their knowledge, free of charge, at a series of Rabo Client Council workshops designed to help provide the financial skills essential to managing an agricultural enterprise.

The North Queensland communities will host the practical Financial Skills Workshops – providing farmers with an opportunity to both upskill and network – in mid- April.

The initiative has been spearheaded and funded by food and agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank’s Rabo Client Council, a group of the bank’s farming clients who volunteer their time implementing programs that contribute to the sustainability of rural and regional communities.

Offered free of charge to participants, the interactive workshops provide practical, hands-on advice for understanding financial statements and banking requirements and explore topics such as taxation versus management accounting, essential business management ratios and understanding key components of a business’s financial profile.

Northern Queensland & Northern Territory Rabo Client Council member and Mackay- based accountant, Tony Olsen said “financial skills are important for our producers and the next generation of producers”.

“Many of our next-generation farmers may be highly educated, or have extensive on- farm experience, but understanding financial reporting and banking requirements is often foreign to them which is why these workshops are so valuable,” he said.

Mr Olsen said the workshop content would consider cash flow implications of a variety of enterprises and there will also be a focus on preparing annual cash flow budgets.

He said the content had been specifically tailored for the workshop locations – focusing on beef and sugar enterprises at Mackay and sugar and horticulture operations for Ayr.

“The workshops have been designed so couples and family members can attend together – it is a really valuable opportunity to get away from the farm for the day to take in the same information and develop an understanding of financial reporting together,” he said.

Mr Olsen said Rabobank’s Rabo Client Council network was focussed on developing meaningful grassroots initiatives to support key themes focusing on agri education, rural wellbeing, sustainability, adaption and creating the rural/urban connections.

“And the Financial Skills Workshops are one such initiative,” he said. “The workshops help build strength and resilience into our local farming businesses, and in turn, our communities.”

Rabobank head of relationship management for Northern Queensland and Northern Territory Craig Burkhardt said primary producers who had attended previous Rabobank Financial Skills Workshops have told the bank the information provided is real and valuable – “useful knowledge they can walk away with and apply in their enterprise”.

“Since launching these workshops in 2018, the Rabo Client Councils have presented this learning opportunity to more than 4,340 farmers across Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

“If you’re interested in attending these workshops, keen to meet other leading producers in the agri sector and increase your financial literacy and skills,” Mr Burkhardt said, “confirm your place before the courses are fully allocated.”

The workshops – which will be limited to 30 participants each and are not restricted to the bank’s clients – will be presented by director of Hudson Facilitation, Tony Hudson.

Workshop dates and locations are:

  • Tuesday, 9 April 2024 – 8:30am – 3:30pm – Mackay
  • Wednesday, 10 April 2024 – 8:30am – 3:30pm – Ayr

To register to participate, please click here

Morning tea and lunch catering will be provided.

Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is a part of the international Rabobank Group, the world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has more than 120 years’ experience providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 38 countries, servicing the needs of approximately 8.4 million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1000 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is one of Australasia’s leading agricultural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 90 branches throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Media contacts:

Denise Shaw
Head of Media Relations
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand
Phone: 02 8115 2744 or 0439 603 525
Email: denise.shaw@rabobank.com

Will Banks
Media Relations Manager
Rabobank Australia
Phone: 0418 216 103
Email: will.banks@rabobank.com