Tenders for the 16 Crafar family farms being offered by receivers has closed

Chinese company Natural Dairy New Zealand resubmitted its application before the deadline, after the Overseas Investment Office (OIO), who must ok the bid, told it in April to provide more information.

Natural Dairy spokesman Bill Ralston says after all the negative publicity, he hopes the company will get a fair hearing from the OIO.

 “Natural Dairy really needs to get its case out there before the public, to quell some of the anxiety. The last thing they wanted to do is become some kind of political football.

“We’ve got complete confidence in the OIO process, they’ll look at this, and see the extra $100 million in the export receipts, the jobs that are going to be created - more than 90 in the farming field - and the sharemilking scheme which will go from $1 million to $5 million, all positive points in their favour.”

Mr Ralston says his client doesn’t understand why it has been the target of so much xenophobic rhetoric.

The weird thing about the Crafar farms is six months ago nobody was interested in them except the SPCA, now everybody is going mad over them.

"There’s a level of paranoia operating here that the Chinese find frankly confusing.”

And while Natural Dairy and Landcorp may have the highest profile bids, don’t write off the man responsible for the whole affair.

Allan Crafar says he too has the backers to settle his debts and reclaim his properties, but is keepings his cards close to his chest.

"My old saying, I’ve said it since I’ve been dealing with people and banks – you should do the most unexpected thing at the unexpected time.”

Of the other bids, Mr Crafar says he prefers Natural Dairy, who would allow his family to stay in their Reperoa farmhouses.

“They’re [National Radio] trying to trap me into saying I prefer the Chinese deal yesterday, well my preferred option is to redeem my debt and continue farming for the bloody country.

"Failing that, why would I want bloody Landcorp to get it when they’re throwing me on the street and the Chinese aren’t?"