El Paso Times/AP- "Demand Up, Supply Down at the West Texas Food Bank"

EL PASO - West Texas Food Bank officials say the agency faces increasing demand while supply dwindles in part because of the drought.

Ruben Sanchez of the agency's El Paso branch said Monday that food pantries are looking for more help even as donations from drought-stricken farmers fall off.

Sanchez told The Associated Press that donations from others are down about 25 percent because people are tightening their budgets in the difficult economy. The El Paso Times first reported the trend.

Sanchez says farmers and individuals contribute up to half of the food bank's supply. The rest comes from the Department of Agriculture.

The West Texas Food Bank distributed about 9 million pounds of food to 22 counties last year. Nearly half went to more than 120 pantries in the El Paso area.