Farmers like Gregorio Quintela have had to cope with limited access to input supplies and buyers for their produce during the height of COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, he continued to tend his farm and deliver vegetables to local markets like Pangasinan Agri-Pinoy Trading Center and an institutional buyer, Jollibee Group.

Jollibee Group continues to purchase vegetables from smallholder farmers and with the Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP), helps farmer groups adapt to the current situation through capacity-building. 

“Bilang FEP farmers, natuto kami kung paano magkaisa at magtulungan para makabuo ng cluster group, mag-consolidate para sa aming production volume, mag-sort ng harvest para sa quality assurance, at gumawa ng cost recording para sa maayos naming pagnenegosyo (As an FEP farmer, we learned how to work together to form a cluster group, consolidate our crops to meet production volume, sort our harvest for quality assurance, and keep a record of our costs to improve our business),” he said.

Learn about the experience of Gregorio and the Alcala Onion Growers Multi-Purpose Cooperative here.