According to the United States Department of Agriculture, approximately 43.4 million acres of U.S. farmland and 438,000 acres of Indiana farmland are held by foreign adversaries as of 2022. These numbers continue to grow and that's why I supported a new law to protect this critical asset and food resource.
The governor recently signed House Enrolled Act 1183 into law, which will ban foreign adversaries from owning, purchasing or leasing Hoosier farmland, mineral, water or riparian rights. The U.S. Department of Commerce maintains a list of six adversarial countries including Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.
The new law will also protect military installations throughout the state by prohibiting foreign adversaries, apart from Cuba and Venezuela, from purchasing land within a 10-mile radius of such a facility.
Selling agricultural land to foreign enemies jeopardizes our state's food security. It's important that we protect our farmland and ensure that it remains a vital asset for our food production.
House Enrolled Act 1183 will take effect July 1. To learn more about new laws, visit iga.in.gov. If I can be of any assistance, please reach out by email at h54@iga.in.gov or call 317-232-9600.
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State Rep. Cory Criswell (R-Middletown) represents House District 54,
which includes portions of Hancock, Henry, Rush and Shelby counties.
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