December 8, 2020
SMC purchases largest volume of corn from local farmers
San Miguel Corporation (SMC), through its food division San Miguel Foods, recently purchased 524,155 metric tons of corn from local farmers, increasing its total purchase by 20% from 436,209 metric tons in September.
This is so far the largest volume purchased by the company from farmers' cooperatives as part of its continuing efforts to help local farmers boost their incomes in the midst of the pandemic.
With the completion of its many new, modern feed mills nationwide, SMC will be buying even more local corn supply in the future. particularly from Bukidnon and Pangasinan. According to SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang, these new facilities, equipped with large silos with aerators, are capable of stockpiling and storing corn and other grains for a year. This will enable the company to store bulk corn longer, give more income to local farmers, and boost food security.
San Miguel Foods also purchases local cassava from farmer cooperatives nationwide through its Cassava Assembler Program, which serves as a platform for small farmers to earn stable and reasonable income from SMC. Local cassava purchased for 2020 has already reached 102,608 metric tons, 109% more than the total purchased in 2019.
Aside from purchasing corn and cassava from local farmers, SMC also has other initiatives to help the agricultural sector, such as its partnership with the Department of Agriculture to open “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” stores at Petron gas stations to allow local farmers to sell their fresh produce to more consumers throughout Metro Manila; and the 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.
As Mt. Kanlaon’ eruption continues to impact Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, San Miguel Foods joined forces with the Philippine Army to bring much-needed relief to affected communities.
Gawad Kalinga’s School for Experiential Education Development (SEED) three-month training program has blossomed into a lifelong mission for 20 scholars from across Mindanao. With the unwavering support of San Miguel Foods and San Miguel Foundation these young dreamers have grown into leaders—symbols of hope for their families, their communities, and the country.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and San Miguel Foods, Inc. (SMFI) have launched their first nationwide public-private partnership (PPP) in agriculture designed to improve Filipino farmers’ incomes, boost food security, and bring quality food to more Filipinos.
What began as a simple garden plot at the SMC Head Office Complex has now expanded into three Backyard Bukid sites across the Philippines. Initially launched to encourage urban gardening and healthy eating habits among SMC employees, the initiative has since evolved into a comprehensive program aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing food security nationwide.
San Miguel Foods supported DSWD MIMAROPA's regional search for exemplary 4Ps children on August 30, 2024, recognizing top finalists for their advocacy, talents, and achievements.
San Miguel Foods (SMF) recently held a company-wide virtual town hall designed to engage, inform, and inspire employees across all business units and locations nationwide. The event was a vibrant showcase of SMF’s commitment to transparency, collaboration, and forward momentum.
San Miguel Foods’ long-running regenerative agriculture program, also aimed at supporting local farmers, has yielded over 90,000 metric tons of cassava in the first half of the year, 44% higher than in the same period last year, boosting incomes for its extensive network of farmers nationwide. San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang said that the company’s Cassava Assemblers Program, ongoing for many years now and in place in more than half of all the provinces in the country, has steadily grown, resulting in higher yields. “Through our Cassava Assemblers Program, we offer a guaranteed market with purchase agreements, a fixed floor price, and comprehensive technical assistance. We continue to engage with, and encourage farmers to organize themselves and form small businesses, to assemble a minimum of 20 hectares of cassava plantation,” Ang said. Ang explained that assemblers purchase produce directly from small farm holdings. This is particularly helpful for farmers with insufficient funds to pay for transport costs to sell their goods. It also solves the problem of economies of scale in production, lowering the unit cost of harvesting or transport, to a point where it is profitable for both the farmer and the assembler. For its part, San Miguel is assured a steady supply of an essential raw material.
San Miguel Corporation stood in solidarity with other leading fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers and government agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), in the turnover ceremony of relief goods donated for the victims of super typhoon Carina organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). San Miguel Corporation through San Miguel Foods, donated over Php 500,000 worth of Purefoods canned goods, including Purefoods Ulam King Meaty Mechado, Purefoods Ulam King Meaty Menudo, Bongga Corned Beef, and Ulam King Caldereta. San Miguel continues to live up to its commitment to help those in need and recognizes the importance of working together towards recovery and in rebuilding the country in times of hardship.
San Miguel Foods (SMF) and the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) have partnered to standardize the NutriBunformulation used in government feeding programs for underprivileged children to help address malnutrition and prevent stunting among vulnerable communities. The agreement, formalized through the signing of a memorandum of agreement, is seen to enhance the effectiveness of government efforts to improve child nutrition and health nationwide. The premixes will be used by DOST-FNRI’s nationwide network of “adaptors”--makers of enhanced NutriBuns distributed to children beneficiaries of the program. The program aims to ensure that sufficient, standardized nutritional values go into every NutriBun so all children get the full nutritional benefits intended. At the same time, it will also allow for cost-effectiveness for the program’s adaptors.
What was once a seemingly barren stretch of sand in 2022 is now a developing mini ecosystem teeming with color and marine life, thanks to San Miguel Foods’ Coral Rescue program.
