News

Proposed budget slashes funding for nutrition programs

The National Corn Growers Association is opposed to President Trump’s proposed budget cuts to the SNAP program of more than $200 billion dollars over 10 years and replacing part of SNAP benefits with monthly food boxes.

Jon Doggett, executive vice president of NCGA, says the group will work with nutritionists and ag leaders to maintain support of the nutrition title programs in the Farm Bill.

“We were concerned with what we saw coming out of the administration and a rather immediate reaction from nutrition groups and hunger groups saying this isn’t something that will work for SNAP recipients,” he says. “we’re going to work with them throughout the Farm Bill process to make sure we help them with their issues and they help us with ours.”

Audio: Jon Doggett, National Corn Growers Association 

In the proposed budget, families that receive $90 or more each month in SNAP benefits would receive a box of pre-packaged food including shelf-stable milk, pasta, canned fruit, vegetables, and meat.

Emily Bryant, a leader of an Indiana food bank association, says the monthly so-called Harvest Box would negatively impact almost every SNAP recipient.

“The logistics of it are really difficult and we have concerns because it removes the dignity of being able to shop at the grocery store, just like you and I,” she says. “What we would strongly encourage the members of our congressional delegation to do is take a long hard look at this and choose not to do it.”

Audio: Emily Bryant, Feeding Indiana’s Hungry 

The plan, which the president’s budget director compared to the meal delivery service Blue Apron, has not been well received and the administration has even said that it won’t be implemented any time soon.