Items Tagged with 'racial discrimination'

The commission studying discrimination in Agriculture Department programs says USDA should look closely at eliminating the county committee system that has historically played a large role in the Farm Service Agency’s management of farm programs.

More than a year after courts forced the Agriculture Department to shut down a debt forgiveness program for minority farmers, Congress is set to give USDA wide open authority to aid borrowers of all races while providing additional aid to victims of past discrimination.

President Joe Biden delivers his state of the union message this week amid a world crisis that is further clouding his political agenda, while congressional appropriators face a March 11 deadline for finalizing their 2022 spending legislation five months into the fiscal year.

The Agriculture Department is seeking members for an advisory panel on equity as it attempts to address long-standing barriers minorities have faced in accessing federal farm programs.

USDA is making $67 million available to help landowners struggling with heirs’ property resolve ownership and succession issues.

The Biden administration's efforts to provide the debt relief to minority producers called for by Congress suffered another legal setback on Friday with an order from the Northern District of Texas prohibiting payments based on race and certifying the case as a class action.

The $4 billion debt relief program enacted by Congress to address past racial discrimination of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers suffered another legal defeat Wednesday when a federal judge in Florida halted payments nationwide.

The Biden administration is struggling in court to preserve a key part of its racial equity agenda - $4 billion in debt relief for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who have faced decades of discrimination in USDA lending programs.

USDA is rolling out its debt relief program for socially disadvantaged farmers, sending out offer letters to producers eligible for direct loan relief, even as it grapples with how to pay off guaranteed loans in the face of concerns from banks worried about loss of income.