WASHINGTON – More than a thousand Louisiana farmers who filed discrimination claims against the U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon receive recompense.
U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and his staff announced during a Wednesday phone conference that about $77.3 million would be awarded to 1,265 Louisiana farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. The money is coming from the $2.2 billion Congress set aside in the Inflation Reduction Act for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program.
“Farming and agriculture in the United States has historically withheld access to communities of color and other marginalized groups. These awards are a significant step to ensure farmers and ranchers can sustain their livelihoods, contribute to the economy, and pursue new agricultural opportunities,” Carter said Wednesday. “This financial assistance is an opportunity to create long-overdue equity for farmers left behind due to decades of discriminatory practices.”
More than 43,000 individuals across the nation were discriminated against in USDA farm lending programs, according to USDA. The assistance is aimed at helping the recipients continue farming, enhance their operations or help replace potential lost income.
About 23,000 current and former farmers and ranchers will receive between $10,000 and $500,000, with an average of nearly $82,000, the USDA reports.
Also getting money are more than 20,000 individuals who planned to have a farming or ranching operation but reported they were unable to do so because they couldn’t get a USDA loan. They are receiving between $3,500 and $6,000 of assistance, with an average of $5,000, according to the USDA.
“While this financial assistance is not compensation for anyone’s losses or pain endured, it is an acknowledgement,” Vilsack said. “My hope is that this will ensure that many farmers can stay on their farms, contribute to our nation’s food supply, and continue doing what they love.”
USDA was accused of handling farm loans differently depending on race, national origin, gender, marital status and other demographics. Covered discrimination includes failures to provide appropriate assistance, delays in loan processing, loan denials, adverse loan terms and unduly onerous supervision of loan requirements.
Recipients have been applying for recompense since July 2023. They were informed of their assistance on Tuesday, according to the USDA.
President Joe Biden said in a statement: “For too long, many farmers and ranchers experienced discrimination in farm loan programs and have not had the same access to federal resources and support. I promised to address this inequity when I became president.”
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