Gov. Jim Pillen in Washington D.C. to speak on ag security measures

WASHINGTON D.C. (KSNB) – Just under 2% or 795,839 acres of Nebraska’s farmland is owned by foreign entities, according to a report from the University of Nebraska.

That figure was enough to prompt a high-profile meeting this week between Governor Jim Pillen and several members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet to discuss measures aimed at protecting American agriculture from foreign threats.

The conversation comes partially in the wake of a U.S. Department of Agriculture report that cited recent charges from the Department of Justice against foreign nationals, including a member of the Chinese Communist Party, accused of smuggling a noxious fungus into the U.S. Officials say the fungus, used as a potential agroterrorism weapon, has caused billions of dollars in crop losses globally.

Governor Pillen, a longtime advocate for securing family farms, says Nebraska has already taken steps to prevent foreign adversaries from acquiring farmland in the state.

“In my first year in ‘23, we were able to pass legislation that took all Chinese equipment off telecommunications across the state,” Pillen said. “That was the first step. The second step was making sure that no land is purchased by any foreign adversaries in the state of Nebraska.”

Pillen emphasized that safeguarding farmland is about more than just ownership, it’s about national security.

“I believe in family farm security. I believe in food security, and that equates to national security,” he said. “We all in agriculture risk everything we have every single day.”

State and federal officials say more policy steps could follow as lawmakers weigh how best to protect America’s agricultural supply from international threats.

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