the whenua - not yours to sell

Remember the gnats declaring that this country was 'open for business'. There are multiple attempts going on from massive overseas interests to buy our whenua in the disguise of buying dairy farms.

It is not yours to sell - it is not yours to buy.

From The ODT

"The Chinese-backed company seeking to buy 29 North Island dairy farms is also trying to buy up to 100 farms in Otago and Southland and build a dairy factory in Southland."

There are 809 dairy herds running more than 400,000 cows in Southland and 355 herds with 180,000 cows in Otago.

Long-term plans were to build dairy factories in the central North Island and another in Southland.

One factory would manufacture long-life milk and the other infant formula, with Natural Dairy planning to use its packaging and distribution expertise in 24 Chinese cities.

Last week, Fonterra chairman Sir Henry van der Heyden warned the rush to secure future food supplies posed a threat to the co-operative as heavily backed overseas companies bought New Zealand farmland and tied up supplies of food.

Ms Wang said Natural Dairy was doing nothing different from Fonterra owning dairy farms in China to supply the Chinese market.

Last year, a Dubai-backed Maori trust abandoned plans to buy 28 Southland sheep, beef, deer and dairy farms.

Earlier this year it was revealed Auckland-based Southern Pastures, with offshore backing, was trying to raise $500 million to buy farms in the southern hemisphere, but with a bias towards New Zealand."

I cannot understand why we allow these offshore interests to consider buying our farms, our land - that is just stupid. We need to stop these attempts to sell our land, our whenua - the point is - it is not yours to sell!