The Japanese corporation Itochu has bought Dole Australias entire farming operation for an undisclosed price.

Dole specializes in growing bananas for Australian markets and employs a large workforce, consisting mainly back packers and a few local Tablelands workers.

It also brought in Filipino workers on 457 visas.

The question now is how many local workers will keep their jobs and how many people will the Japanese company bring in?

Cairns News has been advised some 220 workers at another large farming enterprise, Howe Farming,  have been told their jobs may not be secure, due to a sale of the holdings to the Chinese.

Whilst these farmers cannot be blamed for selling many people are steadfastly opposed to Chinese or Japanese corporations buying such valuable food-producing assets.

More information will be published as it comes to hand.