Aboitiz Foundation, Pilmico lead assistance for farmer entrepreneurs in Iligan
On the 25th year of their organization, a total of 35 farmers affected by the Marawi City siege gained new knowledge on corn production, specifically on land preparation for crop utilization, crop management, and yield improvement, thanks to a recent training session conducted by the Aboitiz Group, led by its corporate social responsibility arm Aboitiz Foundation and food business unit Pilmico.
This comes after the Aboitiz Foundation, together with Pimlico and agricultural firm Jardine Distribution, introduced a yellow corn production project that will assist farmers of Iligan City’s Hindang Banana Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative (MPC) to become efficient agri-preneurs following the decline in banana demand after the siege in nearby Marawi City.
Under the partnership, the said organizations built the capacities of the Hindang MPC members to plant corn, introduce new agri-related trends, technologies, and farm management strategies.
The project, covering the five-hectare land area, is projected to yield approximately 33 tons of yellow corn. Aside from the corn production project, the Aboitiz Foundation will also implement a separate project that will strengthen the organizational management of the cooperative.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa Aboitiz Foundation at Pilmico sa pagbibigay ng panibagong opportunity na ito. Aside po sa mga trainings at financial assistance ngayon, binigyan po ulit kami ng pag-asa para palaguin ang aming Coop. Ngayong taon po ipagdiriwang namin ang aming 25 years at tamang tama po ang pagkakataong ito para sa amin. Sana po ay maging matagumpay ang ating proyekto at maging supplier kami ng yellow corn sa Pilmico. (We would like to thank the Aboitiz Foundation and Pilmico for giving us this opportunity. Aside from the training sessions and financial assistance, they also gave us hope to grow our cooperative. This is timely because this year, we are celebrating our 25th anniversary. We wish for the success of this initiative and we look forward to being Pilmico’s yellow corn supplier),” said Mr. Larry Coracol, Hindang MPC Chairperson.
The Aboitiz Foundation has been providing training and coaching sessions, uniform, corn seeds, and farm inputs to the participants. The Foundation will also provide a pool of external trainers and experts who will work with the farming technicians from Jardine Distribution to ensure proper technology transfer. The project will monitor the production volume and quality based on the requirements of Pilmico.
Meanwhile, Aboitiz Foundation’s First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maribeth Marasigan expressed her gratitude to all the partners that made this project possible. “To the farmers and members of the Hindang Multipurpose Cooperative, we hope that our activities will grow into something that translates to sustainable farming and agri-preneurship,” Marasigan stated.
“Our goal is to ensure that the cooperative becomes stable, profitable, and competitive in the years to come. This is aligned with the Aboitiz Group’s promise of advancing business and communities by co-creating safe, empowered, and sustainable communities,” Marasigan added.
