A farm in the U.S. Midwest that raised more than 10,000 head of corn for export to China was taken off the market after a farmer reported that his tractor had been stolen.
The farm, known as the Bison Farm, was one of more than a dozen farms across the Midwest that were sold to foreign buyers who had promised higher prices for the crop.
A U.K.-based company, J&H Farms, has a contract with the farm to export about 1,400 heads of corn per month, according to an online auction.
But the farm’s owner, Eric Johnson, said he was “extremely disappointed” when he learned on Friday that his tractors were stolen in a burglary at the farm, which he owns.
“I just don’t feel safe with that farm,” Johnson said.
“I’ve never been a farmer before, but I’m used to the way things work.
We’re going to have to figure something out and figure it out fast.”
A U..
S.-based auction site confirmed that a number of farms in the Midwest were sold at auction, with prices ranging from $2,400 to $8,000.
The website for the farm that was stolen said that it was sold on Nov. 2.
Johnson said he has been selling his tractor to a Chinese company since March, when he decided to raise the farm instead of taking it to the United States.
He said he plans to raise more than 8,000 heads of grain for the Chinese market.
He said the stolen tractor was a “factory-type” tractor, which means it has a tractor engine that could be used to transport grain, like a truck.
He has no plans to take the tractor back to China to sell it.
“This is just a little piece of history,” Johnson told CNN affiliate WKRC-TV in Oklahoma.
“It’s like a bad dream,” he added.
Johnson, who is based in California, said the theft was “completely unacceptable.”
“I feel like I have a lot of trust with the Chinese people, but to be honest with you, I have no idea what’s going on with the tractor,” Johnson added.
“If it is stolen, we’ll have to call the police.”
Johnson’s family told CNN that the farm had been the target of a similar theft in September, when it was seized by the U,S.
government in the southern U.T.A. district of Kentucky.
He also said that he believes the stolen tractors may have been used to smuggle drugs.
