For many years, Rabobank has played an important role
as a fïnancer in the development of the Dutch agricultural
sector. This is partly the reason that the sector has been
able to develop into a highly reputable one, and one often
regarded as an example to the rest of the wortd. Even to this
day, Rabobank continues to fulfil a major role in providing
entrepreneurs with increasingly significant added value
as a partner in linance and strategie expert on worldwide
developments.
As a small, densely populated delta, the
Netherlands is particularly successful as an
agricultural producer and ranks high on
the list of countries that export agricultural
products. Every square meter of land is
put to intensive use and every individual
economie activity affects the sector as a
whole. Structural and clever solutions are
needed so that the effects of this intensive
agriculture remain manageable, and it
is for this reason that the Netherlands
now plays a leading role in research
and innovation. The Netherlands has an
excellent knowledge network with which
it can offer solutions that can be used on
a worldwide scale regarding, for example,
food shortages, and water and air pollution.
This is of great interest to other regions
facing similar challenges, such as the
coastal provinces of China.
Since the first cooperative banks were
established in rural Netherlands at the
end of the 19th century, Rabobank has
developed into the domestic bank for
this successful agricultural sector. "Our
current market share of the total sector is
84 percent, and no less than 70 percent
in any of the various subsectors," says Dirk
Duijzer, Executive Vice President of Food
Agri for Rabobank Netherlands. "Our
market share in dairy farming is even higher
than the national average. This is our main
agricultural sector, with regard to both
financing volume (over EUR 10 billion)
and savings volume (over EUR 2.3 billion).
Rabobank is an all-fïnance player with
employees originating from the sector itself
who are experts on, and feel a responsibility
for, issues at local level." Antoon Vermeer
confirms this, saying "It is the mutual,
overlapping responsibility and the
associated solidarity within the cooperative
that makes our bank so unique." In addition
to being a dairy farmer, Vermeer is also
a former chairman of ZLTO, the Dutch
Southern Agricultural and Horticultural
Farmers' Union, chairman of the Board
of Supervisors for international food
processing group VION, and vice chairman
of the Board of Supervisors at Rabobank
Netherlands.
Nowadays, Dutch producers and processors
of agricultural products not only export
their goods but are also developing interests
in their foreign markets. A growing number
of primary producers are now established
in a variety of countries, including Germany,
Poland, France and Kenya. Companies such
as Cosun, VION and Friesland Campina
have been implementing their fine-
tuned international strategies for some
time now and are becoming increasingly
active abroad through takeovers and the
acquisition of interests. Rabobank is able
to offer them excellent financial support
thanks to its international F&A network.
"Rabobank's international F&A focus fits in
perfectly with the current expansion in the
sector," says Vermeer. Duijzer endorses this,
but adds that the added value of the bank
lies in its cooperative character, which also
applies abroad. "We sometimes adjust it
and adapt it to fit in with the culture of a
particular country, but we always maintain
the essence of the bank - its corporate
character."
ISSUE 23 MAY 2010 RI WORLD 2 1
