We have been talking at the state fair on several ag issues. Whether it is crop prices, Prop 12, land prices, or more, folks are concerned about the future of agriculture. Not only the cost of getting into the business and staying profitable but also how much China could take advantage of land sales and other government legislation.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst talked to IARN at the Iowa State Fair and she has real concerns over what China may be doing, especially on land purchases. It hasn’t been so much about what farmland they are buying, now it is where the land is located.
Recently there have been concerns raised over the EATS Act, which is supported by Senator Ernst. There are groups saying that this bill could open the door for more Chinese-owned meat companies to dump products into the U.S. and destroy the markets for small independent farmers. Senator Ernst says she has been hearing those concerns and says that many of the organizations bringing these concerns up have leadership members who can be traced back to Animal Rights groups such as the Humane Society of the United States. That includes the Organization for Competitive Markets, whom we spoke to last week.
Senator Ernst has been hearing from farmers and ag organizations throughout the Iowa State Fair, which runs through August 20th.
