Arkansas ordered the subsidiary of a Chinese-owned company to divest itself of 160 acres (774,400 square yards) of agricultural land on Tuesday, the first such action under a spate of new laws restricting foreign ownership of farmland across the country.
Attorney General Tim Griffin stated that Northrup King Seed Co. has two years to dispose of its Craighead County property in accordance with legislation passed by the majority-Republican Legislature and signed by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year.
Northrup is a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds, which is owned by the Chinese state-owned company ChemChina.
Sanders, at a news conference with Griffin to announce the transfer, stated, “We will make sure that every company operating in Arkansas is a friend to Arkansas and good to hard-working Arkansans,”
Syngenta expressed disappointment with the state’s decision regarding land it has possessed since 1988. The company stated that no one from China has ever instructed its executives to purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire land.
“Our people in Arkansas are Americans led by Americans who care deeply about serving Arkansas farmers. This action hurts Arkansas farmers more than anyone else,” the company said.
Many states are increasingly concerned about foreign ownership of