JACKSON, NJ – Farmland in New Jersey is at risk, from the Chinese Communist Party, says former Jackson Township Councilman Alex Sauickie, now a state assemblyman serving the unexpired term of former assemblyman Ronald Dancer.
Sauickie raised the alarm this week. China must be stopped from buying farmlands New Jersey.
A bill introduced by Sauickie aims at keeping foreign aggressors such as Iran and China out of the Garden State.
“The bill doesn’t specifically name a particular country or government, but the Chinese Communist Party is on everyone’s mind on this issue. Their government does not yet own much farmland throughout our country, but like them, we need to take the long view and get ahead of any potential threats to our food security,” Sauickie (R-Ocean) said. “In this case, we need to think more about the green fields that feed our people than the greenbacks that could be had by selling them to foreign powers. It won’t matter how much money you have if there’s no food to buy. We can view this as nothing less than a national security risk.”
China owns .02% of farmland in America Sauickie said. Sauickie did not say how much New Jersey farmland falls under the control of the Chinese Communist Party.
“The concern I have, in addition to the fact that China is controlled by a totalitarian Communist regime, is not the exact amount owned at the moment, but the speed with which they have exponentially grown their ownings over the last decade,” Sauickie added. “If this continues unabated, we’ll be beholden to Xi Jinping for our families’ food needs.”
If Chinese nationals own farmland in New Jersey, Sauickie said they must sell it under his bill.
Sauickie warns of possible food shortages if China is allowed to own and operate farms in New Jersey, which he said, could lead to possibly starvation and famine.
“Food security is critical to ensuring that all New Jersey residents have food on the table. That’s why there’s bipartisan support for banning China from owning American farmland,” Sauickie added. “We need to have strict laws like mine on our books to proactively protect New Jersey farmland and ultimately our food supply from harm.”
Sauickie is expected to be challenged in the June GOP primary by fellow Republicans.