SMC rescues farmers through milk purchase

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna: San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is set to buy fresh carabao’s milk from farmer-cooperatives struggling to cope with the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The milk will be donated to poor communities and food banks in and around Metro Manila.

As Covid-19 continues to disrupt supply chains, the smaller carabao-based dairy farmers have been left with very little or no buyer for their perishable produce.

Because dairy is a daily crop, most of the farmers are forced to resort to dumping excess milk.

“It’s heartbreaking. There is so much excess milk that goes to waste, instead of getting them to where they are most needed. By buying their excess milk, we are hoping to help not only our farmers stay in business but also get these produce to food banks and communities to help address the growing food insecurity facing the poorest families,” SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang said.

The initiative is the company’s latest response to help the agricultural sector weather the crisis.

Ang said the company would start identifying farmer-cooperatives it would buy carabao’s milk from, who would then identify poor communities and feeding centers to where they could deliver their produce.

The SMC is targeting to have the milk sent to hard-hit communities and feeding centers in Bulacan province, Navotas City and various localities around Metro Manila.

The company hopes to start rolling out the program soon with the help of the government through the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The SMC has further expanded its ongoing Covid-19 relief efforts, which include some P487 million worth of food donations as of May 12.

Its total Covid-19 response at the time had reached P13.08 billion.

“We believe that this will be a big help to many of our farmers, who are struggling and looking for ways and markets to sell their produce. At the same time, it will also help keep many of our less-fortunate citizens, children and the elderly, nourished and in good health,” Ang said.

Carabao milk is known to be healthy and nutritious, with high protein and lower lactose and cholesterol levels.

At the start of the quarantine, the SMC had vowed to support the agricultural sector by buying more local produce to sustain farm incomes and ensure continued food production and food security.

It encouraged local farmers to increase production of rice, corn, cassava, coconut oil, pork, chicken and other products.

Last week, the company announced that it had bought 69 million kilos of corn from various corn producers throughout the country, providing relief for farmers unable to move their crops.

Corn is a raw material for the SMC’s feeds operations, which in turn ensures the availability of poultry and fresh meats in the coming months.