UMR on foreign ownership

Stuff reports:

A UMR Research survey, commissioned by a North Island farmer group trying to buy the in-receivership Crafar dairy farms against a Chinese bid, showed 82 per cent of 500 respondents believed foreign ownership of farms and agriculture land was a “bad thing”. Only 10 per cent believed it a “good thing” and 8 per cent were unsure.

The online poll, which weighed and matched data with census data to ensure a nationally representative sample, also found Kiwis are not xenophobic in opposing a Crafar sale to the Chinese.

The main reasons given for not selling to foreign companies were to keep control of our primary resource, and so that Kiwis benefited from exports, not foreigners.

Though 81 per cent opposed Chinese companies being allowed to buy agricultural land, 76 per cent were against US buyers, 67 per cent did not want British companies buying, and Australia got a 54 per cent thumbs down.

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