USDA awards $2 billion to discriminated farmers

By Scout Nelson

Tens of thousands of farmers or would-be farmers who encountered prejudice when requesting aid from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will get one-time reimbursements from the federal government totaling approximately $2 billion. More than 100 honorees are from North Dakota.

"While this financial assistance is not compensation for anyone’s losses or pain endured, it is an acknowledgment," stated U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during a press call.

These payments stem from the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program established by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, aimed at aiding farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. President Joe Biden emphasized that it fulfills his promise "to address this inequity when I became president."

The USDA received more than 58,000 applications from individuals claiming discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, marital status, disability, and retaliation for “civil rights activity.”

While Vilsack did not specify the most common type of discrimination reported, most payments went to farmers in southern states with higher Black populations. Payments were made to individuals in every state and three territories, with Alabama and Mississippi recipients receiving nearly half of the funds. North Dakota has 110 recipients set to receive approximately $17.9 million.

According to the North Dakota Monitor, over 43,000 people will receive payments, which range from $3,500 to $500,000 depending on the circumstances and impacts of the discrimination.

“We’ve made significant strides in breaking down barriers to access, and my hope is that people will begin to think differently about USDA, so that we can better serve all who want to participate in agriculture in the future,” Vilsack said.

He highlighted that the Farm Service Agency now has more diverse leadership and improved loan assessment processes with less reliance on human discretion.

Photo Credit: usda