NAGA CITY – The Agripreneur Farmers and Producers Association, Inc. (AFPAI) of Libmanan , Camarines Sur led by its President Robert S. Buayaban recently signed a 2-year partnership agreement with the Lion Commercial Corporation (LCC) Supermarket.
Vice President Leni Gerona Robredo personally graced the event as the AFPAI is one of the beneficiaries of the Omasenso sa Kabuhayan Program of the Office of the Vice President.
The AFPAI with over 300 -member vegetable growers from the 11 towns of Camarines Sur agreed to produce and sell to the LCC the agreed volume and quality of various high value crops produced at its production site, namely: watermelon (3,000 kgs), calamansi (1,250 kgs), tomatoes (1,250 kgs), sweet corn (1,250 kgs), and assorted lowland vegetables (1,500 kgs) twice a week.
Meanwhile, the LCC Supermarket which was represented by its General Manager for Merchandising Anne Maybelle Astillero and LCC Executive Director Romeo S. Tan, agreed to buy the agricultural produce made available by the AFPAI as scheduled and in accordance with the volume and specifications agreed upon by the parties. The LCC also committed to provide enhancement trainings in collaboration with third parties such as government agencies or instrumentalities.
This is one of the activities under the LCC’s Bayanihan Program which aims to improve the livelihood of local farmers and contribute to food sustainability.
Also present were Dr. Mary Grace DP Rodriguez, Chief of the Field Operations Division (FOD) and regional coordinator of the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of the DA RFO 5 and Adelina A. Losa, Chief of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD). The DA’s HVCDP and AMAD have been helping the AFPAI in terms of production inputs, farm equipment and machineries, technical assistance, market linkage and provision of delivery trucks which the AFPAI used in transporting and marketing their produce.
Dubbed as “Bayani: Ani para sa Bayan, the signing was held at the LCC Mall Event Center in Naga City on July 25, 2021. (L. Guarin / photos by HVCDP 5)
