More than 43,000 farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners received financial assistance (Photo/Karen Stokes)
By Karen Stokes
The Biden-Harris Administration announced that payments have been issued to eligible applicants through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP). This program is designed to offer financial support to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who faced discrimination before January 2021.
“Farmers and ranchers work around the clock to put food on our tables and steward our Nation’s land. But 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,” said President Joe Biden in a statement. “I promised to address this inequity when I became President. Today that promise has become a reality.
“The assistance provided through DFAP is not necessarily compensation for an individual’s losses, but is an acknowledgment,” Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack said in a press call.
“My hope is that this financial assistance will help many farmers stay on their farms, contribute to our nation’s food supply, and continue to do what they love to do,” Vilsack said. “For those who were not able to farm or lost their farms, I hope these funds provide some measure of assistance to allow them opportunities to help themselves or their families.”
Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act created the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program with $2.2 billion allocated by Congress to provide financial aid to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who faced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs before January 2021. Following the law’s enactment by President Biden, USDA quickly developed the program, incorporated stakeholder feedback, and began accepting applications in July 2023.
One year later, over 43,000 individuals across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa will receive financial assistance through the program. This support will help many continue their farming operations, enabling others to start farming.
The recipients include over 23,000 individuals who have or had a farming or ranching operation, who are receiving between $10,000 and $500,000 of assistance, with an average of nearly $82,000.
An additional 20,000 individuals planned to have a farming or ranching operation, but reported they were unable to do so because they couldn’t get a USDA loan. These individuals are receiving between $3,500 and $6,000 of assistance, with an average of $5000.
Throughout the application process, USDA and program administrators aggressively reached out to ensure those who were eligible were aware of the program and had access to free technical assistance. Each application was reviewed twice, by two independent teams who worked for the program administrator, to ensure fairness and accuracy. Standards for eligibility were set and enforced by USDA, but the review was carried out by third-party administrators per the statute. Agricultural experts were also consulted.
More information about the awards, including geographic distribution, can be found on the program website, 22007apply.gov.