US farm agency opens applications for $2.2 billion in discrimination payments By Reuters

By Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration will start accepting functions for $2.2 billion in monetary help for farmers who’ve skilled discrimination by the hands of the U.S. Division of Agriculture, the company introduced on Friday.

For many years, the USDA’s relationship with farmers of coloration, girls and different under-represented teams in agriculture has been fractured over alleged discrimination within the company’s farm mortgage packages, a difficulty the Biden administration had pledged to handle.

“The opening of the appliance course of is a vital step in delivering on our dedication of offering monetary help to those that confronted discrimination in USDA farm lending, as swiftly and effectively as doable,” mentioned Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in an announcement.

The Biden administration had beforehand tried to offer debt reduction particularly to farmers of coloration however that effort was blocked in courtroom by white farmers.

This system opening on Friday, referred to as the Discrimination Monetary Help Program, is funded by final 12 months’s Inflation Discount Act.

To use for the funds, farmers, ranchers and house owners of forest land should element experiences of discrimination by USDA personnel on the premise of race, faith, gender or different identities that resulted in being turned down for USDA loans, receiving poor mortgage phrases or different outcomes that resulted within the lack of land, properties or different belongings.

USDA is partnering with a number of organizations for Black, Native American, younger, and different marginalized farmers to assist within the utility course of.

The company will settle for functions till Oct. 31. USDA had beforehand mentioned it would distribute funds by the top of this 12 months.