A farm group is applauding California Gov. Gavin Newsom's move to send additional produce from farms to food banks impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Newsom announced Wednesday a statewide partnership between the state’s 41 food banks and 128 farmers and ranchers to provide 21 million pounds of fresh produce a month, KRON-TV in San Francisco reports. The governor says another 200 farmers are interested in joining.

Dave Puglia, president and chief executive officer of Western Growers, praised Newsom and state Department of Food and Agriculture secretary Karen Ross for expanding the state's Farm to Family program.

"The collapse of the food service sector has hit farmers who supply restaurants, schools, universities, hotel resorts and other institutional buyers of fresh produce," Puglia said in a statement. Many farmers who planted before the economy was shut down made the difficult decision to abandon their crops rather than double their financial loss by harvesting, packing and cooling highly perishable produce with no market."

Food 'orphaned' by shutdown

Puglia says it "makes sense" to redirect farm-produced food "orphaned by the economic shutdown" to food banks that have experienced a huge spike in demand.

"Our growers recognize this and have more than doubled their donations of berries, baby carrots, grapes and other fresh fruits and vegetables to food banks up and down the state in March and April," he said.

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“Given the massive economic harm to farmers in our state, much more relief is needed, but this is a good step forward," he added.

Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Its members and their workers provide half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce, according to the group's website.