SMC takes steps easing veggie costs

Amid rising inflation that affected the purchasing power of consumers, San Miguel Corporation partnered with Rural Rising Philippines to buy out about 1.7 million kilograms of fruits and vegetables from farmers struggling to sell their harvest.

SMC said the partnership helped stabilize the income of about 4,500 farmers from Luzon and provided affordable products to consumers at the company’s Better World Diliman community center.

“Food security remains to be one of the pressing concerns today and in the coming years, and we are happy to help bridge the gap between farmers and end-consumers by ensuring farmers get better-than-farmgate prices for their agricultural produce to earn higher incomes while offering these directly to consumers, including our employees,” SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang said.

SMC also partnered with DA’s network of farmer cooperatives to source agricultural inputs like corn and cassava for various food products.

Facilities provided

“Our efforts are not limited to just helping farmers sell their excess produce to prevent these from going to waste. These also include providing market facilities so they can save on transportation costs and also maintain the freshness and quality of products sold to consumers and also supporting community-based agriculture initiatives,” Ang said.

‘Ani and Kita’

In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, SMC also tapped the Department of Agriculture and helped expand the “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” rolling stores at Petron stations.

The initiative helped the farmers in selling their products to consumers following strict quarantine restrictions.

SMC also partnered with DA’s network of farmer cooperatives to source agricultural inputs like corn and cassava for various food products.

To date, SMC continues to provide rent-free spaces for farmers to sell their produce at the Circolo Market in cooperation with the Cabuyao Agriculture Office in Laguna, and at the San Miguel Market in Sariaya, Quezon province.