SM Baguio market gives KSK-trained farmers outlet for produce

BAGUIO CITY — A weekend market at SM City Baguio is giving farmers trained under SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan on Sustainable Agriculture (KSK) program an avenue to sell fresh produce and locally made products.

According to SM Supermalls, the market connects KSK-trained farmers with consumers, allowing them to showcase and sell their harvests while putting into practice farming techniques introduced through the training program.

KSK provides training in sustainable and organic farming practices, with participating farmers expected to apply the lessons on their own farms and in their communities.

The SM City Baguio Weekend Market is presented by SM Supermalls as an extension of that training, giving participating farmers a venue to bring their produce directly to shoppers.

Among the participating groups is Lily of the Valley Organic Farms, identified by SM Supermalls as a KSK partner school.

Ethan Laruan of Lily of the Valley Organic Farms thanked SM City Baguio for providing KSK-trained farmers with an opportunity to sell their produce, saying the market gives them a way to apply what they learned while generating an additional source of income for their families.

SM Supermalls also identified the Virac Organic Agriculture Cooperative as a participant in the Weekend Market, selling organic products from Itogon.

“Thank you at binigyan kami ng pribilehiyo na magtinda dito sa SM. Maraming salamat po at naipromote namin ang mga products namin from Itogon po na organic. Malaking tulong sa amin kasi nabibigyan kami ng panghanapbuhay,” said Jean Solivia of the cooperative. (“Thank you for giving us the privilege to sell here at SM. Thank you very much for promoting our organic products from Itogon. It is a big help to us because it provides us with a livelihood.”)

The market illustrates the role that access to buyers can play alongside agricultural training, allowing farmers to move from learning production practices to finding a commercial outlet for their harvests.

SM Supermalls said the Weekend Market provides a platform for local farmers and producers to connect with consumers and create livelihood opportunities from their products.

The company said the initiative supports the work undertaken through KSK by providing farmers with a venue where their produce can reach consumers.