There is more to the freshness and goodness of fruits and vegetables sold in SM supermarkets. Such produce are products of countryside farmers who were trained under the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan program of SM Foundation, the social good arm of the SM Group.

Agriculture a viable livelihood but a challenging business at that as farmers need to improve efficiency and yield to effectively play their key role in the country's economy and food security. SM Foundation realizes this so it reaches out to low-income farmers across the country and empower them through agricultural education.

Since its inception in 2007, KSK has introduced modern farming techniques to roughly 30,000 farmers, including Rita Soltis of Iloilo City.

Veggie venture

Soltis, a long-time crops farmer, has always strived to hone her agricultural expertise. She navigated the intricacies of the agricultural business and mitigated the impact of unforeseen challenges — from weather to pests. She planted watermelon and vegetables during off-season for their family's consumption.

"I planted palay initially. I also tried corn and watermelon to recover cost when there is a little capital. Previously, we don't plant vegetable much, just enough for our consumption," Soltis said.

Determined to turn over a new leaf, she completed the 14-week training with KSK: "I want to have new opportunity to learn farming especially marketing so I got interested to join the KSK program of SM Foundation," she recalled.

Through the program, Soltis learned about how to keep up with times, prudently invest in mechanization and other modern farming techniques.

"These are necessary nowadays to increase farm yield and livelihood, and most importantly you won't be left behind. We learned proper budgeting, saving earnings, planning where to invest earnings, and reading market demand. We learned to study ways and technique on whether or not use time and money for vegetable or rice," she said.

Tatang's teachings

While empowered with new set of skills, it was the business principle of the late Henry "Tatang" Sy Sr., founder of SM Group, that kept her going when times were tough.

"We were also taught the life principles of Tatang and I use it in my business and planting. There must be hard work and patience because of the long process from preparation, planting up to harvesting," she said.

Soltis expanded her business further by establishing "Dorime Garden," where she cultivated various vegetables for sale and created a livelihood opportunity for a community member.

Since finishing KSK in 2023, the efforts she planted have been sprouting. This year, Soltis successfully harvested 50 kilograms of eggplants, which she marketed effectively through local community markets and weekend markets at SM Supermalls.

"Now, there's a corresponding knowhow in every decision we make. We know when to plant a vegetable or palay based on season. We also have a technique that is not by chance or planting only so much at high maintenance," Soltis said. 

"With help from the Weekend Market of SM, we sell harvest to a bigger market, where there are many buyers," she added.