The Beidahuang Group has been dismayed by what it regards as negative media coverage of its investment in agricultural land in Australia and plans to scale back while it still purchases more farms.

There's been considerable disquiet over the presence of foreign buyers in the farmland market place, but the stats on the extent of foreign ownership and the emerging trends are far from clear.

Governments in a number of countries are trying to address concerns about land grabbing by closing their borders to foreign investors. Are these restrictions effective? Not really, says GRAIN.

There are renewed calls for tighter limits on foreign investment in agricultural land, with new figures showing 4.6 million hectares of Australian land is now owned by overseas interests.

A Qatari Government-owned company is buying up prime agricultural land in South Australia at well above market rates and is forcing farmers to sign confidentiality agreements.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has initiated a position in Archer Daniels Midland when it is anticipated that companies like ADM and Bunge will seek out targeted acquisitions of global farmland in order to both expand and diversify operations

Malaysia’s palm oil giant Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK) has been steadily purchasing farms in Australia’s largest wheat-producing region

As PrimeAg Australia's $125 million sale of rural properties to US fund manager TIAA-CREF goes through, the question now being raised by investors is what will happen to the residual portfolio.

PrimeAg Australia has agreed to sell 60 per cent of its land and water portfolio to US financial services organisation TIAA-CREF for up to $126 million.

In rural Australia, the hyperbole about agriculture as a boom industry for global investors is not translating into practical benefits at the farm gate

Wilmar has flagged the purchase of another 778 hectares of land in the Burdekin region south of Townsville, Australia as part of its campaign to lock up as much supply as possible.

With a need to import 100m tonnes of grain each year by 2020, Beijing needs to invest in global agricultural markets, experts say

China's sovereign-wealth fund is one of three large funds vying to take a stake in Australian dairy company Van Diemen's Land Co.

A Swedish pension fund has become the latest of a series of purchasers of Australian farmland, a buying spree which has fuelled public concerns, and raised discussion over curbs on foreign ownership.

TIAA-CREF's Westchester group buys 17,200 ha Cobran Station, once Australia's largest rice farm, while Sweden's Forsta AP-fonden buys the 16,000 ha Merri Meric farm near Henty.

“When things are mortgaged up to the hilt and the banks are involved then it’s either bank ownership or foreign ownership,” says South Australian sheep farmer Brian Wilson

WA Australian Agriculture Minister Terry Redman can't shed light on reports a Chinese agricultural giant could buy up to $4 billion worth of prime farmland after snapping up some 30,000 hectares in the past month.

A campaign to block foreign ownership of Australian farmland until a national interest test has been conducted has received the backing of the Australian Greens and some Independents.

Blackstone Group LP and China agribusiness company New Hope Group are through to the final round of bidding for Australia's largest poultry producer Inghams Enterprises, a deal that could be worth as much as A$1.4 billion

For all the willing buyers seeking tracts of Australian farm land, local investors are not among them. They wonder what all the fuss is about.

Chinese property development conglomerate Shanghai Zhongfu has won the sole right to develop 15,200ha of high-value irrigated agricultural land in northern Australia..

Duxton Asset Management has bought more than 800 hectares of Australian fruit orchards for a discount of more than 50 per cent from receivers of failed managed investment scheme Rewards Group and listed land owner Ark Fund.

An Australian farmer has voiced concerns about a Chinese company's $29 million purchase of 23,000 ha of prime, grain-growing land in Western Australia's south.

A consultation paper on Australia's foreign ownership register for agricultural land is now available for public comment.

A Chinese conglomerate and Australia’s largest beef producer are amongst contenders vying for rights to farm an agricultural area equal in size to 21,000 soccer pitches in Western Australia.

Australia risks losing an opportunity to become a farmyard for Asia, as growing unease over foreigners buying rural land threatens to provoke protectionist policies.

Australia will set up a foreign-ownership register for farm lands, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday, as the government moves to ease public concern over foreign buyers in the agriculture sector.

The new Australian head of Singapore-listed agribusiness Olam International wants to build more partnerships with institutional investors to open up investment in the agricultural sector.

The New South Wales Farmers Association, in Australia, has switched policies to back much tighter restrictions on foreign companies and investment funds buying Australian farmland.

"We have made some fundamental mistakes over the past few years," PNG's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, told ABC Radio Australia.