Arkansas orders Syngenta to sell 160 acres of farmland
Citing a new state law against foreign ownership of land in Arkansas, state Attorney General Tim Griffin ordered Syngenta, one of the world's largest seed companies, on Tuesday to sell 160 acres of farmland in northeastern Arkansas within two years. Gov. Sarah Sanders said Arkansas was the first state to take such action.
Senate votes to restrict foreign ownership of ag land
In a reflection of international tensions, the Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to prohibit China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from purchasing U.S. agricultural land and agricultural businesses. The language was added to a military spending bill that was sure to pass the Senate and then be reconciled with a House version.
Tougher scrutiny of land purchases by foreigners proposed
The Agriculture Department and the FDA would become members of a powerful U.S. committee that rules on the national security implications of foreign ownership of U.S. assets under a bipartisan Senate bill unveiled on Tuesday. The legislation would also empower the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), led by the Treasury, to consider retroactive divestment of real estate owned by foreign entities.