When dealing with distressed agricultural loans, banks should:
- ensure that those loans are managed by experienced agricultural bankers;
- offer farm debt mediation as soon as a loan is classified as distressed;
- manage every distressed loan on the footing that working out will be the best outcome for bank and borrower, and enforcement the worst;
- recognise that appointment of receivers or any other form of external administrator is a remedy of last resort; and
- cease charging default interest when there is no realistic prospect of recovering the amount charged.
Government Response
The Government supports banks acting on this recommendation.