Missouri Lawmakers fail to limit foreign owner ship of agricultural land

One major priority for Republicans in the Missouri legislature that fell short is limiting foreign ownership of farmland. 

The House passed a bill that would have said no more than zero-point-5 percent of Missouri’s farmland could be owned by a foreign government or company, while the Senate sought a total ban. 

Caleb Rowden is Senate President Pro-tem:  “I think some outside voices got involved that kind of mucked up what we thought was a pretty good package…you know, it’s kind of a complex issue.”

The bill was driven by concerns that companies under the control of the Chinese government already own lots of agricultural land in the U-S. 

It will most likely be a top priority next year.