11 Percent of Australian Farmland Foreign Owned

Australia: The National Farmers Federation – NFF – says it is concerned by the rising level of foreign investment in agricultural land and says it welcomes more regular research into the issue. A report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Research Economic and Sciences – ABARES – shows the amount of farmland that is either partly or wholly foreign-owned has increased by nearly 60 per cent since the early 1980s. The report also found that roughly 99 per cent of agricultural businesses by number are entirely Australian owned, as is 89 per cent of agricultural land and around 91 per cent of water entitlements.

More than 11 thousand farming enterprises were surveyed for the report, covering the ownership of the enterprise, land and water assets, the  study took place in May 2011. Read the full article »»»»