| WASHINGTON,
DC – John W. Boyd, Jr. the President and founder of the National
Black Farmers Association (NBFA) released the following statement
after a successful meeting with USDA Secretary Mike Johanns.
The meeting at USDA headquarters in
Washington, DC covered numerous pressing topics such as civil
rights challenges and the ongoing efforts to resolve thousands
of cases, international trade with a focus on South America and
Africa, the current push for passage of CAFTA, U.S. agricultural
subsidies, USDA's support for NBFA's annual National Conference,
USDA procurement, local USDA program activities, and National
Black Farmers Outreach Legislation. Others present at the meeting
included USDA Under Secretary J.B. Penn; Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights, Vernon Parker; General Counsel, Michael Kelly; and
Deputy Chief of Staff, Drew Deberry.
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Statement by NBFA President John W. Boyd, Jr.
"I greatly appreciate Secretary Johanns'
openness to discuss many difficult issues while creating a cooperative
atmosphere for success. This was one of the most positive senior-level
meetings I have ever attended at the United States Department
of Agriculture, and I have had the honor to meet with the
past five USDA Secretaries. It was really a breath of fresh
air. The meeting was a huge step in the right direction and for
the first time in many years I can actually say that I look forward
to working with USDA to help the nation's Black farmers. The NBFA
and the Administration both agreed to continue this new dialogue
and work together.
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The Secretary told me he was eager to discuss
options for breaking down barriers for Black farmers. He was actively
engaged throughout our meeting and he shared his disappointment
with the way Black farmers have been treated, resulting from systemic
problems. I was impressed with Secretary Johanns' willingness
to review, and potentially support, Congressional legislation
that would provide a resolution to late claim filers who should
have been allowed to participate in the historic USDA settlement
with Black farmers and would remove the barriers preventing claimants
from receiving settlement funds."
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