FIRB meets farmers over GrainCorp

Farmers groups are scheduled to meet with Foreign Investment Review Board officials on Thursday as part of their continued push to stop a $3.4 billion takeover of GrainCorp by the US food giant Archer Daniels Midland, The Australian Financial Review reports.

The newspaper said lobbying by representatives from the Victorian and New South Wales farmers’ federations will include the offices of Treasurer Joe Hockey, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce and Coalition backbenchers including Dan Tehan and Andrew Broad.

Coalition partners the Nationals have sided with farmers in arguing the sale of GrainCorp is not in the interests of farmers or Australians.

Mr Hockey, who has final say on the deal, has delayed making a decision until December 17.