Celebrating National Cultivate Week and farmers in the community

Minister Robert Troy launches special farm loan event

The Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, this week launched National Cultivate Week, which takes place from April 7-13.

Robert Troy is supporting the annual event, which brings together credit unions and their members to celebrate Irish farmers and the vital role they play in sustaining local communities and the wider economy.

Credit unions across the country will mark the week with a wide range of national and local events, offering opportunities to connect with farming families, highlight supports available through Cultivate loans, and showcase the strong relationship between credit unions and the agricultural community.

Therese Conway, newly appointed CEO of Collaborative Finance - the organisation behind the Cultivate brand, said:

“National Cultivate Week is a celebration of Irish farmers and the communities that support them - and an opportunity to show how credit unions are stepping up to meet their needs. Cultivate loans are built around the realities of farm life: flexibility, speed, and a real personal service."

Cultivate loans are currently offered by 53 Credit Unions in 175 branches across Ireland.

"Cultivate has been a very successful initiative since its launch in 2017 and I am delighted to have been appointed as the first CEO of Collaborative Finance, which is the Credit Union Service Organisation behind Cultivate and the Greenify brand. I look forward to working with credit unions around the country to deliver on meeting the needs of our members, including our many farming members," said Ms Conway.

"We’re proud to have the support of Minister Robert Troy and credit unions look forward to meeting farmers at events across the country during National Cultivate Week," she concluded.