At the beginning of the budget process, Gov. Maura Healey proposed spending $25 million on the program. Massachusetts Healthy Promotion Programin fiscal year 2025 – about the estimated amount the program needs to run for one year.

But the final budget negotiated by the House and Senate included only $15 million.

This is one of the most common tools in the Beacon Hill budgeting arsenal: underfunding a necessary or popular expense to balance the annual state budget and then restoring the money through a supplemental budget bill.

But sometimes budget tricks come back to bite real people. It seems to be the same with HIP.

With funds for the fiscal year ending in June projected to run out around March, the Healey administration decided to cut aid starting in December.

Today, one- or two-person households receiving SNAP benefits can spend up to $40 a month on fruits and vegetables at local farmers markets, farm stands, mobile markets or CSA farm shares. If the farmer is registered with HIP, this money is returned to the family’s electronic assistance card. Depending on family size, this limit increases to 60 to 80 dollars.

Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Jeff McCue announced last month that HIP would reduce benefits to $20 a month regardless of family size. “We are restructuring the program to ensure it can continue to operate throughout the year within its current funding level,” McCue said.

As a result, Smith said he is considering eliminating home delivery and is concerned about the decline in sales.

The administration accuses lawmakers of keeping funding low. However, MPs defending the program are not happy that the administration made cuts without requesting additional budget funds.

Rep. Hannah Kane, a Shrewsbury Republican who chairs the Legislature’s food system caucus, and Sen. Jo Comerford, a Northampton Democrat, told the editorial board that the Legislature has a long history of prioritizing HIP and that they are hopeful lawmakers will pass additional funding. . Comerford said the cuts were a “surprise.” “I personally wish the administration had not made a public statement without consulting with the Legislature,” Comerford said. House budget writers are currently meeting with the administration to determine how much more money is needed to fully fund HIP, Kane said.

Of course, if lawmakers had fully funded the program initially, as Healey requested, there would be no need for an additional budget.

This isn’t the first time the HIP has been replaced mid-stream. HIP launched in April 2017 and was suspended in April 2018 when the program reached its then-budget limit of $1.25 million. It started again a month later with additional budget allocations. Additional pauses occurred in 2018, 2019 and 2020 during the winter months, when fewer farmers markets typically occur. Funding for the program is combined each year with money from the annual budget, supplementary budget bills, carryovers from previous years, and pandemic-era federal funding.

But the problem is that people rely on this money and farmers grow crops anticipating the work. As of September 2024 a government information sheetThere were 180,000 households receiving HIP benefits, making 311,000 transactions so far in fiscal year 2025. More than half of these households have a member over the age of 60, and a third have someone with a disability. There is more than one 672 locations Where and where HIP can be used 300 farmers are participating.

Even in December, when many farmers markets are closed for the winter, HIP vendors are expected to offer five CSA programs, 38 farmers markets, 12 mobile markets with 109 stalls, and 66 farm stands. status data Compiled by advocates of the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative.

Gary Wilkins, owner of Riverdale Farm in Groton, said participation in HIP allowed his farm to grow from 75 acres to 150 acres. He sells at farmers’ markets in Boston, Lawrence, Lynn and other urban areas where 90 percent of buyers use HIP. “If they’re going to buy half, I’ll sell half. “One of my concerns is whether $20 is going to be enough for (customers) to go to market,” Wilkins said. It is considering laying off staff in the event of a disruption.

Of course, residents can continue to purchase products at local grocery stores. But HIP offers low-income buyers the chance to double their spending while buying fresh produce and supporting local farmers. a study A study of the Massachusetts program found that HIP participants purchased an average of 1.23 servings of fruits and vegetables per person per day, and that every dollar invested in HIP generated an additional $2 in local economic activity.

Grocery prices have increased in recent years. A program that supports local agriculture while helping families purchase healthy food is a program worth supporting with consistent and predictable funding.

Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. follow us @GlobeOpinion.