Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen joined other state and federal leaders in Washington, D.C. this week to support a new U.S. Department of Agriculture initiative aimed at banning farmland ownership by Chinese nationals and other foreign adversaries. The “National Farm Security Action Plan” was announced Tuesday by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and governors from Arkansas and Tennessee. The plan calls for stronger enforcement and penalties under federal disclosure laws, classifies agricultural infrastructure as critical to national security, and ramps up monitoring of properties owned by countries like China, Russia, and Iran.
Governor Pillen, one of the nation’s largest pork producers, said political leaders need “the courage to never back down and protect our land and families.” The initiative aligns with Nebraska’s recent efforts to limit foreign influence in agriculture. In 2023, Pillen signed an executive order banning state purchases of telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies like Huawei. The Legislature followed with laws to block state funds from buying such equipment and to review farmland purchases by foreign nationals. Pillen has also directed foreign-owned agricultural companies to divest Nebraska assets, recounting that he told Syngenta executives he had “no interest” in them staying in the state. Last week, Syngenta announced the sale of its Hamilton County corn seed facility to Beck’s Hybrids.
While some farm groups back Nebraska’s measures as reasonable protections, others have raised concerns about implementation. The Nebraska Farm Bureau noted its members are more worried about cyber threats to agriculture than land ownership. Nonetheless, Pillen said protecting Nebraska’s food security is paramount, and Agriculture Secretary Rollins added the administration is exploring additional executive orders to further limit Chinese ownership of American agricultural companies.
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