ETFB: State cuts, as food need soars

TYLER — The Texas Department of Agriculture slashed food bank funding by 44 percent this week. On Friday, Lauren Barnes told KTBB, what that means locally. “The East Texas Food Bank is actually taking a hit of nearly $100,000 in fresh produce items. So what that big number really means is a loss of over 600,000 meals for East Texans that are in need.”

Barnes says there are a number of ways people can help, “The first immediate one is helping amplify the message to the Governor’s Office and the TDA to actually reverse the cuts so that way the food banks don’t have to try and absorb this huge loss. You know anyone can help make their voice heard for those that can’t.”

The $1.9 million state-wide cut is to the Surplus Agricultural Product Grant, which helps food banks procure fresh produce from local growers. The cuts are aimed at satisfying a directive from the Governor to trim agency budgets by five percent.  With this cut, the East Texas Food Bank will receive $92,373 less in funding, which will result in 738,984 less pounds of produce going out to East Texans in need.

East Texas Food Bank CEO Dennis Cullinane said the grant provides aid to groups hit hardest by the pandemic: Texans who lost their jobs and farmers who saw their businesses disappear nearly overnight. “Why would we cut funding so drastically for a program that feeds hungry people and supports struggling farmers?” Cullinane asked.

Since the pandemic hit in March, hunger has doubled in Texas along with demand at food banks across the state. At the same time that more Texans are going hungry, many growers in Texas have had to destroy their crops because there was no place to sell them.