MANILA, Philippines – When life gives you lemons…buy them all? Lemons are in distress, and our local farmers are in need of our help!

Social enterprise Rural Rising is organizing a Rescue Buy of tons of locally-sourced lemons that are in danger of spoiling, in an effort to alleviate the worries of lemon farmers in Benguet looking for consumers to buy their crops.

“Lemons are a high-value crop and even in the worse days of the pandemic restrictions, there has been a strong demand for lemons. Now, no buyer wants them. Lemon farmers in Benguet are in such distress,” RuRi wrote on Facebook.

Currently, there are two tons of local lemons up for grabs, hand-picked by farmers from the Benguet towns of Kapangan, La Trinidad, and Tuba. The lemons are at risk of being disposed of soon, so Rural Rising is offering them to Metro Manila customers who would like to contribute P400 for 10 kilos of the fruit.

The dispatch date is yet to be announced, but it usually takes about three days for the produce to arrive to the city, care of Rural Rising. Customers can place their orders via an online link.

RuRi has two pick-up points: at the RuRi House in 72 Maayusin Street, UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City; and at the Old Transport Terminal Bldg., Alabang Town Center, Theater Dr., Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa. You can contact Ryann of QC at 09177187787 and Revo of Muntinlupa at 09175067787.

If you’d simply like to support the cause (many other farmers from different regions are also struggling with spoiling crops), Rural Rising’s GCash account is always open for donations (09175017787).

Rural Rising recently helped out Guimaras farmers by hosting a Mango Eat-All-You-Can event at P200 per head at Market! Market! on June 12. The non-profit organization also holds a regular Box-All-You-Can initiative at certain Ayala Malls, where customers can stuff one box with as much local gulay and fruits as they can for just P699. – Rappler.com

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