Andrew Thorburn says the bank has been working with Psa-hit kiwifruit growers.
The Bay of Plenty is seen as a growth area with lots of opportunities for the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ), says CEO and managing director Andrew Thorburn.
In an interview during a visit to Tauranga this week, Mr Thorburn said the bank had about 21 per cent of New Zealand's agri-business, with a portfolio of about $12 billion.
The portfolio was overwhelmingly weighted in the dairy sector while the kiwifruit sector was relatively small in terms of the overall portfolio, although an important part of its Bay of Plenty business.
"We believe the agri-business sector will remain one of the key sectors for New Zealand's growth," he said.
"We are in a perfect position to produce quality protein and foodstuffs more efficiently and transport it to the growing middle class in Asia. For those reasons, we think it's a great sector to be in."
Mr Thorburn noted that National Australia Bank (NAB), BNZ's Australian parent, was currently opening offices in Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Singapore.
"That's because our clients are going there, and we are having to set up bases for them to go into the Asian markets," he said.
Mr Thorburn said he believed the governance and business management of agri-business, particularly of dairy farmers, had gone up dramatically.
"As they've scaled up, they have realised that managing their debt and capital position and succession planning is really important. We feel the average farmer now is a lot better equipped to handle their business. Farmers are being a bit more disciplined about paying back debt and managing their cash flow."
Mr Thorburn estimated the bank had about a 39 per cent share of the kiwifruit industry. "Since Psa we have worked with clients and we can see a steady improvement even though volumes are currently down."
Luke Williams, BNZ's incoming managing partner for the Bay of Plenty and Central Plateau, said he had observed that kiwifruit farmers were managing their crops much more intensively. "When you look across the sector, collectively the banks have done a very good job in managing a big risk."
On recent changes to loan-to-value ratios, Mr Thorburn said the impact of the changes was being felt in the Tauranga property market. He said that while the Reserve Bank had generally managed interest rates and maintained financial stability well, he doubted the fundamentals would allow for a sustained reduction in property prices, particularly in Auckland where supply was constrained.
Noting that New Zealanders tended to focus their investment planning around their house, Mr Thorburn said the market needed more exposure to domestic and international equities and the development of a bond market so investors could have access to a broader portfolio.
BNZ yesterday also announced a Treaty settlements funding programme aimed at increasing the bank's ability to target the estimated $37 billion of Maori assets. With around $1.5 billion in claims still be processed, the bank is providing a new $50 million bridge facility to help iwi manage the process towards final settlement.
"About half of iwi have received a Treaty of Waitangi settlement, but for the remaining 60 plus claimants, there is a need for funding assistance and good financial advice to help get them through the settlement process, as well as advice on the best way to manage those funds and assets for the long term," said Pierre Tohe, BNZ's head of Maori business.
Mr Thorburn said he believed Bay of Plenty iwi with ongoing settlements would be interested in accessing the new facility.