2023-08-21 13:19:52
Agrobank, the division specializing in the agri-food sector of Caixabank, has financed the entire Andalusian agri-food chain with 2,622 million euros in the first half of 2023, which represents an increase of 1.1% compared to the same period from the previous exercise.
The entity closes the first half of the year with this significant volume of financing thanks to the fact that it has 363 agricultural offices in the region and a team of 1,172 specialized managers.
The territorial director of CaixaBank in Andalusia, Juan Ignacio Zafra, has assured that “the volume of financing reflects our firm commitment to the agri-food sector, a key part of the economy, and that we are close to our clients for everything they need, helping In addition, to make their farms more sustainable and innovative, key factors for the progress of rural areas”.
Agrobank’s value proposition combines the development of “the best products, services and tools adapted to the needs of farmers, ranchers, the fishing sector or cooperative members, in addition to close and comprehensive advice, not only with financial support, but also it also offers joint planning, training assistance and specialization to offer a really useful service,” the entity says in a statement.
To this end, the more than 3,000 Caixabank agricultural managers have “extensive knowledge of the sector” and maintain “continuous and specialized training, have specific knowledge depending on the types of crops and livestock in each population, and the risk teams They are specialized in their areas of influence so that they know the needs of clients very closely and understand their financial flows”.
Drought loans and CAP advance
In this way, in the first half of this year, Agrobank has made the Agroinversión loan available to its clients, with preferential conditions, to alleviate the decrease in income caused by episodes of drought.
This loan allows the additional liquidity needs to face this campaign to be repaid in longer periods of time. The loans will have an optional grace period of one year, extendable up to four years in case of total loss in woody crops.
In addition, in March the CAP 2023 campaign was launched to facilitate the processing of aid and advance the amount thereof, which allows farmers and ranchers to have funds in advance.
The entity’s clients have been able to process the PAC 2023 in the branches with the personalized advice of specialized managers. Along with this, the processing of the PAC advance is facilitated through CaixaBank Now, on its website and digital app, thanks to a simple process through which, in just two steps, they can anticipate the aid and have the money paid.
To facilitate and expedite the management of these loans and grants, Agrobank has almost 7,000 million euros in pre-approved financing available to its customers.
In addition to all this, the entity makes available to its clients a complete catalog of insurance to cover any type of adversity, highlighting Agricultural Insurance and Multi-risk insurance adapted to each crop and livestock.
Commitment to sustainability and innovation
AgroBank’s commitment to the rural world goes beyond the financial field, and the entity develops projects to maintain the rural network, promote diversity and promote sustainability and innovation in the sector.
Among the new projects that have been developed so far this year, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), ‘Crecemos juntas – Proyecto Mentoras Rurales’ has been promoted, a professional development program available to women entrepreneurs in rural areas.
This programme, designed by Caixabank’s Human Resources Development department, pursues several objectives, including systematizing the transmission of knowledge and experiences accumulated by rural entrepreneurs and accelerating their development and professional growth. In addition, it also seeks to form and visualize a solid network of women leaders in rural areas.
For its part, in the field of innovation, the acceleration program of startups Agrobank Tech Digital INNovation, with the aim of attracting and retaining technological talent and advancing the digital transformation of the field in compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals set in the UN 2030 Agenda.
The first edition of this call for open innovation managed to attract 154 startups of national and international scope in its Open Call, of which 15 were selected to accelerate agrotech projects that proposed a greater optimization of natural and energy resources in order to lead some of the eight strategic challenges established in the program: precision agriculture; alternative energy and sustainability in the field; automation of transformation processes; sustainability and energy efficiency; sustainable water management; circular economy, innovation in packaging, storage and logistics, new platforms for ecommerce and sale; traceability and agri-food safety.
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