It’s KSK Farmers’ Trade Fair this weekend at SM City Puerto Princesa.
The Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) farmer graduates of SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) will sell their harvested fresh produce such as vegetable, root crops and fruits at the Lower Ground Floor of SM City Puerto Princesa on April 29 until May 1, 2022 as part of SM’s Sustainable Livelihood Program.
“KSK shifts its activities in helping its graduates by providing market exposure in institutionalized selling”, says Ms. Cristie Angeles, AVP of SMFI Outreach Programs.
She also notes that the scholarship program continues to enhance the skills and encourage its farmer graduates to become entrepreneurs amidst economic challenges, changing weather conditions, and limited planting space and resources.
With the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and other partner agencies, KSK continues to hone the talents of the graduates as well as strengthen their interest in farming by helping them become entrepreneurs through pop up booth activities in participating SM Malls.
DA provides farm inputs, market linkages and other technical support, while DSWD helps in organizing, mobilization of KSK graduates and social preparations. DTI offers entrepreneurial mind-setting, formalizes the business documents of participating farmers, assists in developing farm by-products and includes KSK farmers in DTI’s related activities.
KSK was first launched in Palawan in 2017 even before the present mall started operating.
Since 2007, the KSK Program has produced 23,170 farmers trained in high-value crops with a total of 187 farmers’ training sessions. It is SM’s way of giving back to the communities it serves making it one of the pillars of SMFI’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programs.
