SMC to purchase more products from local farmers during lockdown

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation has offered to buy more produce from local farmers to sustain income and ensure food production during the enhanced community quarantine due to COVID-19.

The company is looking to trade with more farmers in the country to supply raw materials for its food products, help sustain farm incomes in the countryside, and secure food supply.

“We are looking for ways to be able to tap more farmers for rice production, corn, cassava, coconut oil, pork, chicken, among others,” said SMC president Ramon S. Ang.

“Through this, we hope to be able to support the livelihood of our farmers and secure our future supply of food.”

Ang added that his company’s initiative would not only provide income to farmers but also to the web of players involved from processing to shipping.

SMC, in the past weeks, have bough cassava from over 17,000 farmers nationwide through 130 assemblers.

“We want to make sure that farmers will directly benefit. It’s not only people in Metro Manila who are in need of help but our kababayans in the provinces including our farmers,” said Ang.

San Miguel Foods Inc., SMC’s food unit, will be the chief unit in processing the products bought from the farmers.

“Our local farmers have long been a major part of San Miguel’s supply chain. We source many of the raw materials for a lot of our products from them. They are even more important and critical now, especially given the tight competition for products in the global market,” Ang said.

He added that their initiative would encourage more farmers to plant and he also assured them that they will have a ready market for their products.

“Right now, we have more than enough inventory for our present needs, up to over six months. But we will still buy their produce, so we can further ensure supply. This will also allow us to start preparing for the succeeding months,” he said.