USDA Launches Online Portal for Foreign Agricultural Land Transactions

(Washington, D.C., January 22, 2026) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has introduced a new online portal designed to simplify the reporting process for transactions involving U.S. agricultural land by foreign entities. This initiative falls under the framework of the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) and aims to bolster enforcement mechanisms while safeguarding American farmland as part of the ongoing implementation of the National Farm Security Action Plan.

Strengthening Transparency and Enforcement

“President Trump’s commitment to an America First agenda includes enhancing transparency around one of our nation’s most vital resources: American farmland. We are dedicated to improving the reporting of foreign-owned agricultural land in the United States,” stated Secretary Brooke Rollins. “The streamlined reporting portal will enhance compliance and aid us in effectively monitoring foreign interests in our farmland, thereby ensuring the security of our agricultural community.”

Accessing the New Portal

The newly launched online portal can be accessed at afida.landmark.usda.gov. Users can log in using Login.gov, which provides a secure access method for participating in government programs and fulfilling reporting obligations.

This digital portal will collect the same data currently required on the FSA-153 form. Filers may continue to utilize the hardcopy version of the FSA-153 form, but should avoid submitting both formats to prevent duplicate entries.

About the National Farm Security Action Plan

The USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan, unveiled in July 2025, is focused on enhancing processes surrounding foreign ownership disclosure of U.S. farmland. This historic initiative promotes robust reforms to the AFIDA process, including enhanced verification and monitoring of the data collected. As part of this effort, the USDA published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for AFIDA in December 2025.

Understanding AFIDA

As mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, the new portal represents a significant step in modernizing the electronic submission and management of AFIDA disclosures. In conjunction with this launch, USDA has released its annual AFIDA report for 2024. This report reveals that foreign holdings of U.S. agricultural land stood at 46 million acres as of December 31, 2024, highlighting transactions by entities from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea in recent years.

AFIDA, enacted in 1978, established a comprehensive system for tracking foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land. It mandates foreign investors holding, acquiring, or transferring interests in U.S. farmland to disclose this information to the Secretary of Agriculture.

The data collected from AFIDA compliance serves as the foundation for an annual congressional report, accessible online.

The AFIDA regulations define a “foreign person” and outline the necessary information to be included in the reports, focusing on those with either direct or indirect interests in agricultural land, particularly those with “significant interest or substantial control” over the direct interest holder.

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