農地法人への出資制限緩和　企業・地銀参画で基盤強化―農水省

　農林水産省は、農業法人のうち農地を保有できる「農地所有適格法人」に対する出資制限を緩和する。農業関係者による３分の１超の出資を前提に、取引実績のある食品企業や地方銀行ファンドが３分の２未満の議決権を取得することを可能にする。人口減少が進む地方などで農地の確保や活用を図るため、経営基盤を強化する。
　２０２４年の通常国会で農業経営基盤強化促進法を改正し、農地法の特例として位置付けたい考えだ。（2023/12/26-14:57）

Japan's agriculture ministry plans to ease restrictions on investment in agricultural corporations legally qualified to own farmland.
   The change would allow food companies and investment funds of regional banks that have dealings with such agricultural entities to own together under two-thirds of the voting rights in the bodies, provided that over a third of the rights are held by farming industry interests.
   Through the move, the ministry hopes to boost the business foundations of agricultural corporations so that more farmland will be secured and utilization of such land will increase, especially in nonurban areas hit by population declines.
   The current rules mandate that agricultural corporations qualified to own farmland be majority-owned by parties related to agriculture in terms of voting rights.
   Under the envisaged change, the required minimum would be reduced to over a third. Meanwhile, farmland corporations would still have to be majority-owned collectively by agriculture-related parties, food companies and regional bank funds.