Foreign Purchase of Farmland Study Committee holds third meeting
Photo: The Study Committee on Foreign Purchase of Farmland in Mississippi held its third meeting at the State Capitol. Committee Chairman Andy Gipson and Secretary Angela Cockerham pictured. (Courtesy photo)
The Study Committee on Foreign Purchase of Farmland in Mississippi held its third meeting at the State Capitol on Oct. 19. The Mississippi Legislature created this Study Committee through House Bill 280, 2023 Legislative Session, for the purpose of studying the purchasing, acquiring, leasing or holding an interest in agricultural land by foreign governments.
“We’ve covered a lot of ground in this Committee, and I want to commend all committee members for your involvement and participation. Foreign ownership of land is a very important topic, and there are many things we must consider. Some good questions have been posed, and we have had information from various viewpoints submitted. I am looking forward to compiling this information into a report for the Legislature,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson.
The Study Committee welcomed Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward by phone to discuss recent developments with the Arkansas Act 636. Representative Becky Currie also provided input. Testimonies were heard from Mississippi Forestry Association Executive Director Casey Anderson, American First Policy Institute Director for the China Policy Initiative Adam Savit and Mississippi Realtor Owen McIntosh. The Committee also reviewed comments submitted by the public.
The final meeting for the Committee will be Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. in Room 113 in the Capitol. Visit www.mdac.ms.gov/farmland for more information about the Study Committee including meeting proceedings and USDA foreign ownership information. Public comments are welcome via email and can be submitted at farmland@mdac.ms.gov through Nov. 9.
A recording of the full meeting can be found here:
