Dear Sir
Congress has to pass the 2024 Farm Bill which includes a provision to provide oversight and the restriction of foreign companies and governments from purchasing US farmland. In particular, it must address purchases by companies and other entities from China and other adversarial countries.
Although these companies might only own a very small percentage of US farmland, recent purchases by Chinese companies have increased in recent years, including the purchase of Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer.
Several Chinese companies have tried to purchase farmland near US military bases. In 2021, a Chinese company tried to purchase land about 12 miles from the Grand Forks, ND Air Force Base. The base houses top-secret intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communication facilities. The deal was killed by intervention from the Air Force.
Prior to the Grand Forks effort, another Chinese company tried to purchase land near the Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas, but lawmakers killed the deal.
We have to stop allowing companies in countries like China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela from purchasing our farmland and corporations. These countries are ongoing threats to our national security.
Donald Moskowitz
Londonderry NH