SMC BUYS RECORD VOLUME OF CORN TO SUPPORT FARMERS AMID PANDEMIC

San Miguel Corporation has doubled its purchase of local cassava from farmer cooperatives, increased by a fifth its corn procurement and partnered with the Department of Agriculture to fulfill its promise of helping farmers weather the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through its subsidiary San Miguel Foods, SMC has been buying up the agricultural produce of the farmers helped in part by the build-up of more silos with aerators that can store the cassava, corn and other items for up to a year.

SMC president and CEO Ramon S. Ang had earlier vowed to help the farmers during this pandemic, and through its Cassava Assembler Program, which serves as a platform for small farmers to earn stable and reasonable income the company has already purchased for this year 102,608 metric tons, more than double the total purchased in 2019.

Its corn procurement program has already netted 87,946 metric tons for the October-November period bringing the total for the year of 524,155 metric tons, 20 percent higher than its purchase of 436,209 metric tons in September.

“This is by far the largest volume ever that we have sourced directly from farmer cooperatives. This is part of our continuing efforts to help boost the incomes of our farmers, who have also been affected by the pandemic,” said SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang.

Earlier this year, following the imposition of enhanced community quarantine across many parts of the country due to the pandemic, SMC announced it would boost sourcing of raw materials from farmer cooperatives referred to the company by the Department of Agriculture (DA), in order to help secure the country’s food supply, and ensure better income for farmers.

The program also came at an opportune time. With the completion of many of its new, modern feed mills nationwide, Ang said SMC can buy even more local corn supply in the future, particularly from Isabela, Pangasinan and Mindanao.

The new facilities, equipped with large silos with aerators, are capable of stockpiling and storing corn and other grains for a year, Ang said. This will enable the company to buy and store bulk corn longer, giving more income to local farmers, and boosting food security.

Aside from purchasing corn and cassava from local farmers, SMC has also participated in other initiatives to help the agricultural sector, such as its partnership with the DA to open “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” stores at Petron gas stations, that allows local farmers to sell their fresh produce to more consumers throughout Metro Manila.

It also put up Better World Diliman, a market where excess produce bought from farmers at above-farmgate prices are sold to resellers and consumers at lower prices.

SMC is also exploring other ways to support farmers whose agricultural lands were devastated by super typhoons Rolly and Ulysses.