Minister calls on banks to back farmers

A government frontbencher has offered a way for big banks to regain standing following dents to customer confidence in the banking royal commission.

Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud wants banks to facilitate farm management deposits, where farmers facing drought can decrease their taxable income in the good years in order to save for the bad.

"Agriculture is a much better bet than credit card debt ... farmers grow the food we eat - including food for the bankers," he said in a statement on Saturday.