March 29, 2024

Farmers, entrepreneurs, and government-assisted associations can now sell their products at the SM City Baguio through the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) Trade Fair.

The KSK Trade Fair is a once a month weekend market project of SM through the SM Foundation and SM City Baguio with its partner-agencies and institutions on sustainable agriculture program for Benguet farmers.

An avenue provided by SM as a way to support the local farmers during the Covid-19 pandemic, the trade fair showcases the KSK farmers’ produce and byproducts.

It is also an opportunity for the government and private sector partners to raise public awareness on their programs and services.

Assistant Mall Manager John Paul Arnaiz, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-Benguet Director Vilma Cabrera, representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Cordillera, and the farmer associations opened the KSK Trade Fair on Nov. 21 and 22 at the SM City Baguio.

The two-day event was participated in by farmers from Taloy Sur in Tuba, Benguet who graduated from the SM-led KSK farmers training last year and the new batch of farmer trainees this year.   

The Bosigan Multipurpose Cooperative with locally produced vegetables, fruits, and processed foods mostly from Mankayan and Atok also joined in the trade fair through the support of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera.

Tesda-Benguet also promoted its programs and services and the products of the technical-vocational institutions while DSWD-Cordillera displayed various products crafts and food produced by the grantees of its Sustainable Livelihood Program.

The public is invited to the second wave of the KSK Trade Fair at the SM City Baguio set on Dec. 12 and 13. 

Last month, SM City Baguio also hosted the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita program of the DA, in partnership with SM, Resto PH, and the SM Supermalls dubbed as the Farmers’ Produce.

The Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita directly links the farmers and fisherfolks including farmers cooperatives and associations to the consumers. SM provides spaces free of charge for farmers and cooperatives to sell their local produce. It is being held in most of the SM malls in the country as a way to support the local farmers and fisherfolks who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. – Redjie M. Cawis