USDA is reminding farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners that this Saturday, January 13, 2024, is the deadline to apply for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. This program is made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided $2.2 billion in funding.
Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination by USDA in its farm loan programs prior to January 1, 2021 and/or are currently debtors with assigned or assumed USDA farm loan debt that was the subject of USDA discrimination that occurred prior to January 1, 2021, are eligible for this program.
For the purposes of the program, a claim of discrimination may be based on different treatment experienced because of race, national origin or ethnicity (including status as a member of a Native American Tribe), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, marital status, disability, or in reprisal/retaliation for prior civil rights activity, according to USDA.
Applications may be submitted online through the program website at 22007apply.gov, in person at a DFAP local office, or by mail. There is no cost to apply for this program and free technical assistance is available.
In September, after receiving feedback from potential applicants, nongovernmental program administrators, and community-based organizations, USDA extended the deadline to January 13, 2024. This provided potential applicants six months to prepare applications. The previous deadline was October 31, 2023. There will be no further extensions to the deadline.
Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, USDA said that it has worked diligently to design DFAP in accordance with the law and with significant stakeholder input. This includes working closely with the non-governmental program administrators who are conducting outreach, assisting with the financial assistance application process, processing applications, managing program call centers, and operating local offices. USDA has also worked with community partners who are providing outreach and application support. Thousands of virtual and in-person outreach and technical assistance events have been conducted across the country, in addition to the assistance provided at local program offices.
Related: International Conflicts May Equate to Higher U.S. Prices; Industry Voices: What Channel Shifts Have You Seen?