8 Jul 2011

Foreign buyers' policy approved by farmers

4:22 pm on 8 July 2011

Federated Farmers has reaffirmed its support for overseas investment in New Zealand agriculture by people who want to come and farm here.

But it's not so comfortable with foreign coporate investors buying large numbers of farms that could end up in foreign control.

The federation has been reviewing its policy on foreign investment. And new president Bruce Wills says it's generally in line with current government policy.

Mr Wills says Federated Farmers feels Overseas Investment Office rules are adequate to cover those concerns about mass aggregation of foreign-owned farmland.

However, the rules don't satisfy the Labour Party. Opposition leader Phil Goff has told a conference of Federated Farmers last week that a Labour Government would tighten them.