(Steve Shadley - KJZZ)

St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance spokesman Jerry Brown holds a tube of ground beef while announcing the Arizona Cattlemen's Association donation at the state capitol on Wednesday.

Beef prices have increased because of the drought and livestock feed shortages, but Patrick Bray with the Arizona Cattlemen’s Association said local producers are happy to provide meat for the needy.

"It’s not about affordability, it’s about doing what’s right for the community and the people at home as much as we possibly can” Bray said.

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance spokesman Jerry Brown said people who get the food boxes can receive beef tips and round steaks, plus hamburger.

"Ground beef is something that people are going to want a lot of because you can make so many types of meals with that.  It’s not just pounding it into hamburgers.  You can use it with the pastas and some of the other things that we give in emergency food boxes and really put a hearty meal on the table for your family” Brown said.

The Cattlemen’s Association has made an initial donation of hundreds of pounds of beef.  Tyson foods has also provided 30,000 pounds of chicken and Shamrock Foods is donating dairy products.