Agricultural Loans Fund

Overview

The Government of Jersey's Agricultural Loans Fund aims to empower farmers and agricultural enterprises by providing essential financial support to drive growth, spark innovation, and build resilience.

It strives to enhance food security and uplift both individual farmers and the wider agricultural community, ensuring a prosperous, profitable and sustainable future.

Jersey Business is managing applications.

What can it be used for?

The Agricultural Loans Fund can be used for the following:

To purchase:

Agricultural land
Agricultural machinery, vehicles and equipment
Livestock
Flower bulbs, seed potatoes or seed potato boxes
Shares in an agricultural Company

To Construct:

A dwelling house or permanent farm buildings (including greenhouses)

To Carry out improvements:

To an existing farm building or convert into a dwelling
That will contribute to more efficient and economic farming of agricultural land

Can I apply for the loan?

The Agricultural Loans Fund is open to the following:

Businesses and individuals carrying out work of an agricultural nature in Jersey
Newcomers to the agricultural sector

Agricultural businesses will be expected to be working within the terms of the Government of Jersey's Rural Support Scheme (or be eligible to access the Rural Support Scheme).

What are the loan terms?

The terms of the Agricultural Loans Fund are:

Total Agricultural Loans Fund - £10 million
Maximum permissible loan value per business - £1 million
Maximum borrowing cannot exceed 90% of the estimated project cost
Minimum loan per business - £25,000
Loan interest rate 3.0% per annum
Loans can be requested up to a maximum term of 30 years

Does the loan need to be secured?

Loan security:

Loans over £150K will need to be secured with a property asset. The property asset must be unencumbered and in the name of the applicant
Loans under £150K will be considered without security
It is not permitted for another individual or family member to stand as a guarantor

What are the key considerations for loan approval?

Key considerations include:

Viability of the business
Productivity gains
Return on investment
Management skills and experience
Financial status
Environmental impact
Social impact
Economic impact

How to apply

How to apply:

Check you meet the loan eligibility criteria
Attend an information session at Jersey Business
- Friday 22nd Nov at 9:15 am Fully booked
- Tuesday 26th Nov at 11am Fully booked
Complete an Expression of Interest Form (see below)

Complete an Expression of Interest today

Click here to complete the Expression of Interest for the Agricultural Loans Fund

What happens next?

Once the Expression of Interest is received your eligibility will be verified and once approved you will receive the full loan application form and supporting documentation.

Timeline for Agricultural Loans Fund

Agricultural Loans Fund Information Session Slides

Agricultural Loans Fund Timeline

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What's involved?

Application form:

If your Expression of Interest has been approved you will receive the full loan application form and supporting documentation. Submit the full loan application form which succinctly describes the project and clearly shows the return on investment for the business. This will be reviewed initially by Jersey Business.

Financials:

Submit a 3-year forecasted business model including an 18 month cash flow and a balance sheet (a template will be provided)

Include 2 years of trading accounts (where applicable)
The financials will be sent to an external accountant for review

Jersey Business Health Check:

The business will undertake a Health Check supported by Jersey Business

Who decides?

The decision process:

A dedicated Agricultural Loans Advisory Board will meet quarterly to review all submitted applications
The Board will make a recommendation to the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development (MSED)
The MSED makes the final decision on loan applications
For loans of more than £150K, approval will also be required by the Minister for Treasury and Resources

Agricultural Loans Board meeting dates

Below are the 2025 Agricultural Loans Board meeting dates so far:

Tuesday 28th January 2025
Tuesday 25th March 2025
Tuesday 27th May 2025

As indicated by the timeline, please note that it may take up to six weeks to review a fully completed application that requires no revisions or re-works. Our goal is to help you submit a high quality application, so we recommend allowing yourself plenty of time in case our team suggests any modifications.

FAQ's

The Government of Jersey have outlined some FAQs.

Please refer to the following document.

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25/03/2025

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