Black Farmers Will Receive $5 Billion From The COVID-19 relief bill

(WASHINGTON, DC) Exclusive: Democrats have proven be a fair and equal opportunity party, some where Tucked into the massive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill signed into law by President Joe Biden on last Thursday is a provision aimed at benefiting farmers of color who are socially disadvantaged, in a move to cover outstanding debt.

The provision, which was drawn from the Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act, was inserted into the relief package and includes $5 billion that will go to socially disadvantaged farmers of color. These include Black, Hispanic, Native American or Asian American farmers. Four billion dollars would go toward covering up to 120% of outstanding debt, and $1 billion is designated for outreach, training, education, technical assistance and grants.

It’s part of the $10.4 billion provided in the package for agricultural and food supply sectors. Democrats hailed the inclusion of relief for farmers of color as vital to addressing historic inequalities, particularly for Black farmers, whose numbers have declined and who have faced discrimination.

The loan provision is intended to “address the historical discrimination against socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and address issues” related to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the text of the bill.

The legislation has met mixed reaction: Some see it as a long-needed attempt to repair historic injustices; others, including prominent Republican lawmakers, accused Democrats of adding it to the relief package as part of a “wish list” of items that don’t relate to the pandemic. Since the end of Reconstruction, Black farmers have learned their biggest threat is not drought, blight or insect infestation, but something more insidious: Discriminatory practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the very agency that is supposed to help farmers stay on the land and be productive.

The USDA has admitted it systematically denied Blacks and other people of color access to the same loan and grant programs that have helped generations of white farmers get the financing they needed to hold onto their land in lean years and even expand their operations.