Unlike many of our competitors, Coastals’ is unique in that it is a co-operative. It embraces an ethos of mutuality, which means that we exist solely for the benefit of our members – the ‘shareholders’. Thus, members share in all the benefits of membership – there are no outrageous mark-ups, excessive and ‘secret’ profits. There are no external shareholders to report to and no excessive returns are required on the co-operatives capital outlay. Decisions are made with the long-term benefit of our members as opposed to sometimes quick-fix short-term decisions in the private sector.

Coastals’ is an extension of your own farming activities. It acts for you as a comparison shopper, secretary and bookkeeper in every aspect of purchasing your farm requirements. We have strong purchasing power and deal with hundreds of suppliers in the agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors. It is our scale and size, along with our reputation for fair and honest trading that is able to generate significant benefits which we pass directly to you on all your purchases.

The co-operative, as a predominantly buying organization, has to negotiate from a position of strength. In today’s highly credit orientated society, the buyer who can pay cash or within a short period from delivery date, can command the best prices and discounts. This is our philosophy. Our credit terms to members are 30 days from statement and we offer a generous discount for payment within these terms. Should a member have a short term cash flow problem, it is our policy to assist with extending our terms, but subject of course, to funds being available.

Few farmers enjoy bookkeeping! The time consuming effort involved in controlling, assembling and checking hundreds of vouchers and invoices each month is one of the tasks that you are freed from, thanks to Coastals’ Consolidated Farming Account. Your statement comes to you each month with all your vouchers and invoices, carefully checked by our staff. The statement is detailed and analyzed by the main farming categories. In addition, the VAT element is separated for ease of recording by the farmer.