SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC) is teaming up with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to mass purchase agricultural produce, starting with four million kilos of surplus corn, to provide a lifeline to farmers and help secure the country’s food supply in the midst of COVID-19.
The surplus corn is enough to produce feeds for over 7 million live broilers that can eventually feed 4 million families in one day.
Covered are 25,000 hectares of corn farms in Cagayan, where much of the surplus corn will come from.
SMC is also looking to the DA to link it with cooperative heads in Tuguegarao for sourcing of cassava.
SMC said it will buy the produce at pre-agreed prices and volume, as part of a long-term partnership.
The company has also reiterated its call to farmers nationwide to supply rice, corn, cassava, sweet potato, coconut oil and other farm products that will be bought at guaranteed prices for the farmers benefit.
SMC is also in talks with the DA to utilize strategic Petron stations nationwide as outlets for government’s “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” rolling store program, which is the market system project of the DA that links local farmers to consumers to ensure the sale of agricultural produce at reasonable prices.
Petron stations that will be initially tapped as venues for Kadiwa stores are Filinvest, Dasmarinas/Edsa and Katipunan/La Vista. The company said that more gas stations will be added in the coming days. Currently, SMC’s Petron stations also serve as sites for SMC’s Manukang Bayan refrigerated vans, which bring fresh chicken and other refrigerated and canned meats closer to consumers.
