San Miguel Corp. (SMC) said its Backyard Bukid urban farming initiative in its Pasig headquarters is now cultivating 39 varieties of flowering plants and vegetables.
SMC said the project that was initiated in 2021 to assist its service personnel during the pandemic now includes a plant nursery, 80 garden plots and also functions as a center for employee wellness, volunteerism and training.
SMC added it has also been replicated in several other facilities through the San Miguel Foundation.
The company added the project has recently been expanded through a partnership with Urban Farmers PH to further enhance the farm’s diversity and variety of produce.
SMC added that among farmyard staples that is being grown include tomato, okra, ampalaya, kale, romaine lettuce and other salad greens.
“I am proud to see the progress of our Backyard Bukid project. Apart from promoting urban agriculture, it has also become a space for our support staff to collaborate and learn life-long skills that will help them become more resilient and self-sufficient. I’m grateful to our partner, Urban Farmers PH, for helping us expand this project. Our goal is to extend this initiative to even more facilities, involve more employees and encourage other companies to do the same,” said Ramon Ang, SMC president, in a statement.
Currently, SMC’s Backyard Bukid follows a harvest cycle of 20 to 35 days.
Once the produce is harvested, it is distributed among members who then sell it to employees.
Some of the harvest is also bought by SMC and donated to its Better World Tondo community center for its daily feeding program.
The company also has plans to buy the vegetables for the office canteen.