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Foreign ag land bills considered in MO Senate ag committee

The chairman of the Missouri Senate Agriculture Committee says lawmakers in the committee will likely vote on three foreign ag land ownership bills in the next week.

During a committee hearing on Tuesday, bill sponsor Jason Bean said the language should be tightened, including restricting five countries, including Russia, China and North Korea, from purchasing Missouri farmland.

“In an attempt to keep our warriors safe at home, we initally had language that our bill would apply to a buffer around military installations, but that proved problematic. We’ve removed that language out of this bill,” says Bean. “However, forbidding our nation’s most imminant threats from purchasing more land helps to accomplish a similar effect for Missourians.”

Bean’s bill would require land sales be reported to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General within 30 days of the sale going into effect. The Secretary of State’s office would monitor who owns foreign land and the AG would be the enforcement. This would take responsibility of oversight away from the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Bean tells Brownfield the updated process shouldn’t delay ag land sales.

“The important thing in Missouri is we want to stay open for business and we need to thread this needle very carefully.”

A second bill was heard from Vice-Chairman Rusty Black, a farmer from Livingston County, to completely ban any foreign ag land ownership after August 28. He says this should not affect agricultural research, including the creation of livestock products in the animal health corridor of the state.

“My refridgerator has important things in it I need out of St. Joe, Missouri.”

The third bill, from Senator Bill Eigel, does not allow more than 1% of the total ag acreage in the estate to be owned by a foreign business or individual.

“My bill makes it illegal moving forward for foreign entities to own any Missouri ground. Not only agricultural ground, but commercial and residential ground as well.”

The bills have the support of the Missouri Farm Bureau, but other ag groups in the state have not taken a public stance on them. However, Black tells Brownfield agriculture groups are in discussions.

“No matter which group you’re in, all of them are being heard as we go through this process. It’s the third week of session and even though some of the language is simple, the issues are complicated.”

Brownfield interviewed the lawmakers following the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing.

Hear the interview with Missouri Senate Ag Committee Chairman Bean.

Hear the interview with Missouri Senate Ag Committee Vice-Chairman Black.