Black AR Farmers Mostly Unaffected by USDA Funding Freeze

U.S. Department of Agriculture cuts have affected farming communities nationwide but a national group said Black farmers are largely unaffected.

Arkansas is home to 1% percent of all Black farmers working in the U.S. The Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association represents more than 20,000 farmers across the nation.

Thomas Burrell, president of the association, said due to long-standing discrimination, many members never received assistance to begin with, so they are unaffected by the USDA freeze.

"What our concern has always been, not withstanding any administrative efforts or the lack thereof, is the constant, unfortunately, of discrimination that prevents our members from being able to participate, key phrase, in 'food production,'" Burrell explained.

Burrell noted Congress has introduced multiple measures this year to compensate Black farmers for past discrimination. Last summer, the Biden administration provided more than $2 billion in direct payments to minority farmers who were denied loans by the USDA.

Burrell believes tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump will have negative short-term effects but positive long-term effects on farm families in Arkansas. He adds the Trump administration is making $30 billion in relief available to farmers who had crops damaged during natural disasters.