Orders of more than 370,000 pounds of food for low-income Idahoans were canceled this spring

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — This spring, the U.S. Department of Agriculture canceled thousands of orders, accounting for millions of pounds of food, meant for low-income Americans. Orders totaling more than 370,000 pounds of U.S.-produced meat, dairy and produce for Idaho food banks were canceled, according to USDA data obtained by ProPublica.

The deliveries had been scheduled between May and September under the USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program. Nationwide, the cuts totalled about $500 million for nearly 94 million pounds of food, ProPublica reported.

For Idaho, the canceled deliveries included cheese, turkey breast, dried cranberries, chicken, and pulled pork. The program is designed to provide nutritious, high-quality USDA foods for low-income residents and support U.S. agricultu