A Missouri Senate committee is considering a bill to restrict foreign ownership of farmland. The idea has been muddied up with different viewpoints of foreign ownership over the years, including preventing any ownership of land across Missouri rather than just agricultural land.
The bill from Sen. Rusty Black, R-Chillicothe, would impose strict limitations by requiring that no foreign business or government is to acquire ag land in the state.
“Since its enactment in 2013, this law has divided the agriculture community, and it’s caused the distrust between the people and their government,” Black told the committee. “With that said, very few foreign investors have used the law to purchase agricultural land because for the most part 111 out of 114 counties prohibit foreign companies and not domestic from purchasing farmland.”
Additionally, foreign entities that already own agricultural land can retain their ownership but would be barred from transferring it to other foreign entities. Currently, no more than 1% of Missouri’s agricultural land can be owned by a foreign entity.
“This bill before you, Senate Bill 217, returns Missouri law back to the way Missouri legislators found it in 2013, which would ban new foreign ownership of Missouri agricultural land after August 28, 2025,” he said.
No one testified in opposition to the bill.
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