How Republican Ashley Hinson's 'Farm Bill' provision could stop China's buy out of U.S. farmland - as it's revealed communist adversary has bought 347,000 acres

The upcoming House Farm Bill will contain measures to restrict foreign entities like China from scooping up American farmland in a big win for national security, a Republican who helped secure the provisions told DailyMail.com. 

Foreign entities own a total of 40 million acres of U.S. farmland and China has bought up nearly 347,000 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Now lawmakers are working to further restrict China and other adversaries from snatching up coveted land in the fiscal year 2024 'Farm Bill.'

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, who represents a heavy agricultural district, says it's critical to stop China in order to protect U.S. food supply chains and bolster national security. 

'Communist China shouldn't be allowed to buy another acre of American farmland, nor should we rely upon our top foreign adversary for key parts of our food supply chain,' Hinson exclusively told DailyMail.com.

Chinese entities own farmland in 29 out of the U.S.'s 50 states, totaling 347,000 acres

The Chinese land purchases near important U.S. military instillations have been a particular concern for lawmakers and government officials. 

In 2022, for example, the China-based food producer, Fufeng Group, acquired 300 acres of land in Grand Forks, just 20 minutes down the road from the Grand Forks Air Force Base, where some of the nation's most sensitive drone technology is based. 

Air Force Major Jeremy Fox wrote a memo that year characterizing the move as being emblematic of Chinese efforts to install themselves close to sensitive US defense installations. 

He argued that the Fufeng property is located at just the right location for the company to intercept communications coming from the Air Force base.

Now, lawmakers are moving to crack down on such instances using the Farm Bill.  

One of the wins Hinson says will be in the bill are reforms to the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA). 

Those improvements would help the government more easily track foreign entities' purchases of U.S. agricultural land. 

It will also now mandate minimum penalties on individuals who intentionally submit false AFIDA filings. 

As highlighted by the January GAO report, previously the USDA tracked foreign agricultural land purchases using paper forms. 

Now, the Farm Bill includes language to create an online submission form where the USDA can better track submissions. 

The land the Fufeng Group purchased is 20 minutes, approximately 16 miles, from the Grand Forks Air Force Base

Chinese firms own 346,915 acres of American agricultural land as of December 2022

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, touted reforms to the House Farm Bill that would further restrict foreign entities from purchasing U.S. farmland

The measure will also require the USDA to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to ensure timely data sharing of international land purchases.

CFIUS is an inter-agency committee dedicated to reviewing the implications of foreign investment into the U.S. - and they work closely with the intelligence community to ensure the integrity of such deals don't present national security threats. 

The new House Farm Bill would also establish a position dedicated to auditing and overseeing activities related to AFIDA called the Chief of Operations of Investigative Actions, which would report to CFIUS land acquisitions that could pose a threat to national security. 

Hinson, who sits on the House China Select Committee, helped ensure that reports on agricultural land buys by citizens or entities with ties to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea or other state sponsors of terrorism identify potential threats to the U.S.

The Farm Bill also includes language from Hinson's Securing American Agriculture Act which would reshore the production of vitamins and ingredients necessary for livestock and agricultural production. 

Much of those recourses rely heavily on Chinese supply lines to maintain, which the Iowan has said poses risks to the U.S.  

The current version of the bill passed through the House Committee on Agriculture 33 - 21 last week.

Under the new reforms, the USDA will create an online submission portal for Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) filings

Foreign countries own at least 40 million acres of US farmland, pastures and forests, which officials claimed ‘may have consequences for national security.’ However, a watchdog said the government is not 'reliably' tracking data on land owners. Pictured is only farmland ownership

One Chinese billionaire owns seven percent of all land in Val Verde County in Texas

Chairman of the committee, Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., celebrated the bill's passage through committee with bipartisan support, saying in a statement last week, 'Great things can be accomplished when you don’t surround yourself with redlines, and I am eager to continue our work with whomever wants to come to the table.' 

Hinson also celebrated the bill's committee approval. 

'I was proud to work with Chairman Thompson to ensure initiatives to reshore our food supply chain and prevent Communist China from buying our land were included in the House Farm Bill.'

'Food security is national security, and this Farm Bill bolsters both.'