Federated Farmers says its time New Zealand got back the four farms they say Natural Dairy purchased illegally.

Federation President Bruce Wills says now that serious corruption charges have been laid against Natural Dairy’s head honchos in Hong Kong, the country needs to get the farms back in Kiwi hands.

In 2010 May Wang’s Natural Dairy was told it could not buy Alan Crafar’s portfolio of dairy farms as the people associated with the company failed the Overseas Investment Office’s good character test.  

However, Natural Dairy had already purchased four of the farms without seeking OIO approval.

"We’ve still got four properties that didn’t go though the proper process with the OIO, still owned by May Wang or her associated groups and the Overseas Investment Office is obviously working through that process.

"But bottom line is those purchases were purchased illegally and the OIO has to somehow sort through that issue. So we still have some ongoing issues with May Wang which are going to take a little while to play out."  

 Mr Wills says the corruption charges against Natural Dairy and May Wang did not come as a surprise.

"The question marks over the character of this individual have been signalled for some time so things are fairly prepared for the result that came out of Hong Kong."

Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption has charged May Wang and the company’s financier, Jack Chen, with corruption, conspiring to bribe officials and money laundering.

May Wang has appeared in the Hong Kong court this week and must reappear on January 18, while Jack Chen was a no show and an arrest warrant has been issued for him.

Reef Group strategic manager, Michael Jones, says his company is not sure what the charges will mean for the contracts it signed recently with Natural Dairy to supply noni juice from the Pacific Islands to China.

"Obviously it means a lot to the Pacific and Samoa to the growers and the exporters and we’re hoping like anything it doesn’t affect the potential of Pacific products.

"Regardless of what happens we’re committed to supplying China and we see the potential in China. But we also have contacts in India and other parts of Asia."

 Meanwhile, Natural Dairy’s UHT milk processing plant in Tauranga has not been operating since June after it reportedly suffered production problems. 

The Tauranga plant has been fined several times this year for discharging milk onto land and waterways, and there are unconfirmed reports that Natural Dairy has left one freight firm hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Country99TV has repeatedly contacted Natural Dairy in an attempt to seek comment, but no one has been made available.