ATLANTA.....The USDA website (www.usda.gov/da/status.htm) reports
on the Consent Decree in the Class Action suit filed by Black farmers
against the USDA. In the Consent Decree there are 2 tracks - Track A which
does not require considerable documentation and Track B which requires
considerable documentation and more scrutiny.
19,728 Black farmer claimants were accepted under the Track A portion
of the Consent Decree out of which 17,365 determinations have been
completed. In the July 20, 2000 update it is reported that out of the
17,365 claims, 6,724 claimants have been denied at a 38.7% denial rate and
10,641 claims being approved at a 61.3% approval rate.
The recent update indicates that 5,686 Track A farmer claimants in the
class action have received $50,000 amounting to $284,300,000. An
additional 4,955 claimants are presently eligible to receive
payments.
The recent update also indicates that 141 claimants are accepted for
processing in theTrack B portion of the law suit. Of the 141 there have
been 4 rulings by the arbitrator of which 2 have been ruled against and 2
ruled in favor. To date, only 2 of these cases have been settled. |
