Noem wants board to vet foreign land purchases, but lawmakers could go further

House Bill 1069 would prohibit any ownership of ag land by foreign governments

(Photo by Taylor Siebert on Unsplash)

Gov. Kristi Noem wants a board to vet agricultural land transfers involving foreign governments.

But there’s a growing appetite among some lawmakers to outright ban foreign ownership of farm and ranch ground in South Dakota, the latest development in ongoing efforts to reform America’s food supply chain and reduce its reliance on China.

House Bill 1069, being carried by Rep. Carl Perry and Sen. Tom Pischke, stipulates: “A foreign government may not purchase, acquire, lease, or hold any interest in agricultural land in this state.”

The bill would not be retroactive and, if adopted, would govern land transfers beginning July 1.

“I’m not in competition with the governor,” Perry told The Dakota Scout Monday. “What I’m in competition with is whether or not we can get to the point where we have some control of the entities who are getting the land in South Dakota.”

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