A method for quickly, thoroughly and objectively assessing Moldovan agricultural companies' creditworthiness was worked out with the support of CNFA (Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs), Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a communique from the organization. The method was devised in cooperation with the IFAD Program and is designed to help small agricultural companies get access to bank loans at a time when the financial institutions grant loans mainly to the large producers with whom they have already worked. “The new method for assessing the agricultural risks helps make decisions that minimize the lending risks and increase the banks' profit potential,” said the CNFA expert Patrick Norrell. “The systematic use of this model contributes to the diminution of the risks not only when separate lending decisions are made, but when administering the entire portfolio of agricultural loans. This simplified method will enable to reduce the application processing time and the banks will have more reasons to provide loans to small producers.” The new method is based on eight analysis components, namely cash flow, volatility of the prices of agricultural products, indebtedness level, liquidity, profitability, the degree to which the loan is pledged, repayment experience or length of the relations with the bank and management experience. It is a simpler mechanism for following the risks to the portfolio of agricultural loans and examining the primary risk elements that are taken into account when taking a decision to release an agricultural loan. Founded in 1985, CNFA is a Washington-based, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to stimulating economic growth around the world by nurturing entrepreneurship, private enterprise and market linkages. In Moldova, CNFA is implementing the five-year US$2.5 million From Farmer to Farmer Program and has recently completed the US$12 million Agribusiness Development Program.