Independent ranking
Best UK business loans for agriculture and farming with Haydock Finance
Independent UK lender rankings from desk research, post-decline options included. FundBiz does not run a credit check. Typical decision times vary by product and lender and are stated in the ranking below.
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Haydock Finance names agriculture directly among the hard assets it underwrites (HGV, plant, manufacturing and agriculture), and Novuna Business Finance separately names agriculture among its own asset-finance specialisms. Both fit the plant and machinery need our agriculture sector guide identifies as the dominant financing gap, alongside Allica Bank and Hampshire Trust Bank for the commercial-mortgage and asset-backed side of a farm business. This FundBiz ranking assesses 4 UK lenders for "best uk business loans for agriculture and farming with haydock finance", weighting primarily on agricultural asset-finance specialism (30%), commercial mortgage for farmland (20%), eligibility breadth (20%) (see the full weighted criteria below). Scores are our own desk-research assessment built from the FCA Register, Companies House filings and each lender's published product criteria, not customer reviews and not paid placement. Lenders don't pay for inclusion or rankings. If you send an enquiry, we pass it to a business finance broker, who pays us a fixed fee; you pay nothing.
Source: FundBiz methodology. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).
Want the sector overview, cash-flow shape and typical decline reasons instead? See agriculture and farming business finance →
Founder & Managing Director, Muswell Rose, FundBiz
Adam is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and a founder of Best Business Loans Ltd, the company behind FundBiz. His background runs through commercial finance, mortgages and fintech, including as managing director of an invoice finance business. He oversees FundBiz's guides and lender reviews.
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Asset finance (hire purchase and lease) · Not published · Not published
Named agriculture among its hard-asset specialisms (HGV, plant, manufacturing, agriculture); refinance option releases equity from owned kit.
Our assessment: Decision speed: strong (not published) · Post-decline acceptance: strong.
Read full Haydock Finance review → -
Asset finance (HP, leasing), stock finance, project finance · Not published; bespoke by asset and case · Not published; typical of corporate asset lenders
Named agriculture among its asset-finance specialisms, alongside construction and transport.
Our assessment: Decision speed: average (not published; typical of corporate asset lenders) · Post-decline acceptance: average.
Read full Novuna Business Finance review → -
SME term loan, asset finance + commercial mortgage · £25k to £150k (business loans); up to £15m (commercial mortgages) · Money in days on business loans; longer for larger facilities
Commercial mortgage and asset finance for farms wanting to buy land or equipment with a real bank behind the deal.
Our assessment: Decision speed: average (money in days on business loans; longer for larger facilities) · Post-decline acceptance: strong.
Read full Allica Bank review → -
Asset finance, commercial mortgages, bridging, development finance · Not published · Not published (its bridging target is three weeks from application to completion)
Asset finance and commercial mortgage lines for asset-backed farm businesses where mainstream banks decline on covenant grounds.
Our assessment: Decision speed: average (not published (its bridging target is three weeks from application to completion)) · Post-decline acceptance: strong.
Read full Hampshire Trust Bank review →
Side-by-side comparison
| Lender | Typical rate | Ticket | Decision | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haydock Finance | Quoted at offer | Not published | Not published | Hard-asset HP and lease |
| Novuna Business Finance | Bespoke pricing, quoted at offer | Not published; bespoke by asset and case | Not published; typical of corporate asset lenders | Asset purchases in its specialist sectors |
| Allica Bank | Business loans 9.90% to 13.75% interest; other products quoted per deal | £25k to £150k (business loans); up to £15m (commercial mortgages) | Money in days on business loans; longer for larger facilities | Established Ltd companies with three or more years of filed accounts |
| Hampshire Trust Bank | Bespoke, quoted at offer | Not published | Not published (its bridging target is three weeks from application to completion) | Asset-backed and property-backed deals |
Sources: each lender's own published product pages: Haydock Finance · Novuna Business Finance · Allica Bank · Hampshire Trust Bank. Figures change; confirm with the lender before you rely on one.
What is the best business finance for a UK farm or agricultural business?
Haydock Finance names agriculture directly among its hard-asset specialisms (HGV, plant, manufacturing, agriculture). Novuna Business Finance separately names agriculture among its own specialisms, and Allica Bank and Hampshire Trust Bank cover commercial mortgages for farmland and asset-backed lending.
How is farm plant and machinery usually financed?
Hire purchase or lease against the equipment, and refinance (sale and leaseback) where the machinery is already owned outright, which releases cash without giving up use of the kit. Haydock Finance runs both structures on hard agricultural assets.
What rate should a farm business expect?
As recorded in our lender reviews: Haydock Finance: quoted at offer. Novuna Business Finance: bespoke pricing, quoted at offer. Allica Bank: business loans 9.90% to 13.75% interest; other products quoted per deal. Hampshire Trust Bank: bespoke, quoted at offer. Lenders price each case individually, so confirm the cost on a real quote.
How fast can a farm business get a decision?
As recorded in our lender reviews: Haydock Finance: not published. Novuna Business Finance: not published; typical of corporate asset lenders. Allica Bank: money in days on business loans; longer for larger facilities. Hampshire Trust Bank: not published (its bridging target is three weeks from application to completion). Timings are the lenders' own or typical figures and depend on how complete your application is.
What stops an agricultural business getting finance?
A sole-trade or partnership structure (most farms aren't Ltd, and the FundBiz enquiry form is for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners), single-crop concentration, and disputed land valuations are the most common reasons a file stalls.
How we ranked these
We weight agricultural asset-finance specialism (30%), commercial mortgage for farmland (20%), eligibility breadth (20%), decision speed (15%), post-decline acceptance (15%). Rankings reflect our published editorial methodology, not any commercial arrangement. See our /methodology/ for the full basis.
Methodology weights
Weights specific to "Best UK business loans for agriculture and farming with Haydock Finance":
- Agricultural asset-finance specialism30%
- Commercial mortgage for farmland20%
- Eligibility breadth20%
- Decision speed15%
- Post-decline acceptance15%
Read the full methodology for how we score and rank the lenders we review.
Also considered
- Specialist agricultural lenders (per our agriculture sector guide)
Not for
Sole-trader or partnership farms (the FundBiz enquiry form is for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners); single-crop concentration risk.
Send an enquiry
Tell us what you need in 2 minutes. FundBiz is not a lender and does not run a credit check. We pass your enquiry to a business finance broker, who will contact you about your options. For limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners.
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