Clarissa Viduya • June 27, 2023

Doing good to our farmers: A look at San Miguel’s direct corn-buying program and how it is helping our local farmers nationwide

Malasakit combined with pag-asa. The stories of struggle, risk, and uncertainties of over 122 corn farmers across the country had a 180-degree turn when the direct corn-buying program of San Miguel Foods was introduced to them. The continuing expansion of the company’s feed milling projects helped resuscitate the stalled economy, with SMF’s purchase of over 35,000 metric tons of corn from local growers this year. Corn is one of the key ingredients in animal feeds. 


It all started with the company’s objective to help the agricultural sector by directly purchasing from the local farmers themselves, while indirectly levelling the playing field between the traders and small-scale farmers. But the company had to do a lot of pre-work. The team, led by BPG Heads Charity Anne Chiong and Quito Blanco, together with PANB’s Agri-Development group conducted interviews and profiling studies to determine the various challenges in corn farming. Then they started reaching out and establishing partnerships with the farmers. 


One of the project’s big wins is that aside from San Miguel paying a fair amount to the growers versus the normal trader, we also directly deposit the payment to the farmers’ bank accounts within 2-3 days of delivery. This immediately compensates the growers’ costs in farming and helps them use the money for their personal expenses too. 

Through this program, there have been heartwarming stories about how the corn farmers were able to bounce back from the impact of the pandemic and huge debts from their financiers. These farmers are also no strangers to floods, droughts, and pests, so now that they are more liquid, they are better prepared for any crisis. Furthermore, some of them have even been able to purchase their own delivery trucks and additional equipment. With the improvement in their quality of life, these farmers have encouraged their families and other farmers to join the program and enjoy its long-term benefits. This issue features some of the inspiring stories of our partner corn growers. 


With the massive feed mill expansion program that San Miguel Foods is undergoing, we will be partnering with more and more corn farmers to supply us with local corn. Not only does this guarantee us a substantial and steady source of local corn, it also contributes to our sustainability efforts of supporting our local farmers and elevating their source of livelihood.

Testimonials from our corn farmers

Mula po noong kami ay nabigyan ng pagkakataon na magbenta ng aming produkto sa San Miguel kami po ay nagkaroon ng opportunity na magkaroon ng stable na pagdadalhan ng aming produkto at stable na presyo at kita. Nang dahil dito, hindi na po kami natatakot mag-ani o maglabas ng aming produkto anumang oras dahil alam po naming may sigurado kameng pagdadalhan. Hindi po katulad noon na kung saan-saan pa namin hahanapin ang aming buyer at walang kasiguraduhan na may magandang presyo at kung magiging maayos ang bayad sa amin dahil kadalasang ahente ang kausap namin. Minsan pa ay nakararanas kami ng pangloloko sa presyo at sa bayad. Sana po magtuloy-tuloy pa ang programa ninyo para sa aming mga farmers. Maraming salamat po.


Marjorie Gante 

Address: Brgy. Dammang West, Echague, Isabela 
Area Planted: 10 hectares of corn 
Corn farmer for eight years

Una po sa lahat nag papasalamat po ako sa Panginoon dahil ibinahagi niya sakin ang napakalaking tulong ng San Miguel Foods ng Echague. Noong wala pa po ako sa San Miguel hindi ko po alam kung saan po ako magbebenta dahil paiba-iba po ang presyo ng mais at ngayong bahagi na po ako ng San Miguel, nakita ko po ang diperensya at ang magandang tulong nito sa amin lalo na sa aking pamilya. Hindi lang po ako ang natutulungan pati narin po ang aking mga kapatid na farmers rin. Dahil kung ano po ang naibahagi sa akin ng San Miguel naibabahagi ko rin po sa iba. Huwag po sana kayo magsawang sumuporta at tumulong sa aming mga farmers lalo po ngayong mahirap ang buhay at napakamahal ng mga bilihin, ng mga binhi, at ng aming abono bilang isang farmer. Wala na po akong inaasahang pagbebentahan kundi ang San Miguel Foods lamang dahil alam ko po na ang San Miguel Foods lang ang may kakayahan na magbigay ng ganitong opportunity at magandang buhay sa aming mga farmers. 

Mario Cumlat

Address: Brgy. San Felipe, Echague, Isabela
Area Planted: 5 hectares of corn 
Corn farmer for 15 years 

Ako po ay dating OFW sa Saudi, nagsumikap makabili ng sarili lupa. Nang nakaipon, nagdesisyon akong umuwi at makasama na ang aking pamilya.

Noong 1996 ako nagsimula magtanim. Simula noon, naranasan ko na ang ibat-ibang suliranin sa pagsasaka, katulad ng madalas na pagbagyo, mga insekto sa pananim, kakulangan sa imbakan or storage, pagpapatuyuan ng mais, madalasang pagbabago ng teknolohiya sa pagtatanim, mataas na gastusin sa pananim, mahirap na daaanang farm to market roads, at ang hirap sa pakikipagtransaksyon sa mga buyers na madalas pang manipulahin ang presyo at timbang na kulang pa na pangpuhunan at kapital. Sa pag-asam ko na mapaunlad ang aking mga kagamitan sa pagsasaka nagkaroon ako ng mga utang na dahilan upang makontrol na ng aming pinagkakautangan o financier ang mga binebenta naming mais. Sa mababang halaga na lamang namin ito naibebenata at minsan pa kahit konting dumi lamang ay mas lalo pang binababaan ang presyuhan sa amin. 


Naging iba ang ihip ng hangin ng makausap ko at makilala ang isang tauhan ng B-MEG na nagpaliwanag sa akin ng programang ito. Hindi ako makapaniwala dahil bilang isang simpleng magsasaka hindi ko maisip na makakapagsupply ako sa pangarap kong kumpanya (SMC). Ako’y nagagalak dahil sa 25 years kong pagsasaka ay makakaranas na din ang aking pamilya ng kapanatagan at kaginhawaan.


Marami pong magandang naidulot sa aming mga farmers ang pakikipag-ugnayan at pakikipagtransaksyon sa San Miguel Foods/B-MEG. Una po rito ang kasiguraduhan ng presyo ng mais. Kampante po ako na hindi magkakaroon ng iregular o biglang pagbaba ng presyo ng aking mais. Pangalawa, ang maayos at tamang pagtitimbang at pagsusuri ng kalidad ng aming mga mais. Pangatlo po ang mabilis na transaksyon at pag-galaw ng aming mga mais.

At ang panghuli, bilang isang farmer dinanas naming madalas mabaon sa utang at mabigyan ng di makatarungang pagpresyo sa aming mga mais. Ngunit dahil sa B-MEG nagkaroon kami ng kapanatagan ng isip at motibasyon na ipagpatuloy ang pagtatanim.



Sana po ipagpatuloy ninyong suportahan ang maliliit na farmers katulad namin. Maraming salamat.

Samuel Lago

Address: Brgy. Dalenat, Angadanan, Isabela
Area planted: 7 hectares of corn
Corn farmer for 25 years

Ako po ay si Analyn Torre ng Brgy. Dalipe, Lemery, Iloilo. Ako po ay nagpasalamat sa San Miguel Corporation. Nang dahil sa inyong Direct Corn Buying Program nabigyan kami ng pagkakataon na makabenta ng aming mais diretso sa inyo at hindi na kailangang dumaan pa sa mga malalaking traders ng Iloilo City. Kami po ng asawa ko ay nag-umpisang pumasok sa pagtatanim ng mais 11 na taon nang nakalilipas at tumutulong rin kami sa mga maliliit na magsasaka sa pag-finance ng kanilang pagtatanim ng mais sa aming lugar.


Sa ngayon, umaasa kami na ipapagpatuloy ng kumpanya ang programang ito dahil nagbibigay ito ng malaking tulong sa mga katulad naming magmamais.


Maraming salamat po.

Analyn Torre 

Brgy. Dalipe, Lemery, Iloilo
Area planted: 200 hectares of corn 
Corn farmer and financier for 11 years 

Ako po ay si Emity B. Durog, bata pa lang namulat na kaming magkakapatid sa pagtatanim ng mais kasi isa ang papa ko sa mga sinaunang corn farmers dito sa lungsod ng Dangcagan, Bukidnon. Nung ako’y magka-asawa, nagstart kami sa pagtatanim ng sarili naming maisan. Marami pong magandang naidudulot sa buhay namin nang dumating ang San Miguel Foods Corn Direct Buying. Una po sa lahat, aside po sa kumikita kami, nakatulong din po kami sa mga kapwa naming corn farmers kasi po hindi na nila kailangan pumunta pa sa ibang bayan para doon pa ibenta ang kanilang mais. Marami pong mga magsasaka ang nakakausap namin ng personal talaga pong nakakataba nang puso yun. Higit sa lahat yung presyo namin sir direct na po sa San Miguel hindi na namin kailangang dumaan pa sa malalaking traders yun ang pinaka malaking tulong sa amin. Maraming, maraming salamat po San Miguel Corporation, sa pamunuan at buong San Miguel Foods, at kay Mr. Ramon Ang. God Bless your company! Keep up the goodwork po!

Emity B. Durog

Poblacion, Dangcagan, Bukidnon
Area planted: 20 hectares of corn 
20 years as a corn planter

Ang family po namin ay pagsasaka ang kabuhayan at ako ay nahasa sa pagtatanim ng mais. Kasama ko ang aking asawa sa pagsasaka ng mais, kamoteng kahoy, at palay. Sa ngayon ako lang po ang merong direct delivery ng mais sa San Miguel dito sa aming lugar na mula sa sarili naming tanim. Ganun din ang inaani ng aking mga kapatid, sa amin din pinagbibili. Maganda itong karanasan at oportunidad na nabigay sa amin ng San Miguel, lalo na isa kami sa maraming naka-avail sa programang ito ng direct corn delivery program. Dahil rito, nakabili po ako ng isang ten-wheeler hauling truck at nabawi ko po ang aking 2 ektaryang sakahan na naisangla ko noon. Nakatulong din po kami sa aming kapwa magsasaka kasi po hindi na nila kailangang pumunta pa sa bayan upang ibenta ang kanilang mais at nakatitipid pa sila sa pamasahe ng delivery. Maraming salamat po San Miguel dahil sa inyong programa, kaming mga magsasaka ng mais ay nakadama ng pagpapahalaga at wala pang kumpanya ang nakakagawa nito. Mabilis pa ang pagbayad sa loob ng 2-3 araw bayad na ang delivery ko. Sana po ipagpatuloy ninyo ang programang ito at marami pang magmamais ang makinabang. Sa kabutihang puso ng SMC President Ramon S. Ang. Sir saludo po kami sa inyo dahil isinama nyo po kami sa inyong programa na ngayon lang nangyari sa amin. Maraming salamat San Miguel, sa inyong programa nakasisiguro kami na masaya at magiging matagumpay ang aming pagsasaka. God Bless San Miguel. 

Violeta Develos

Brgy. Rizal, Banga, South Cotabato
Area planted: 25 hectares of corn 
15 years of planting corn 

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