The Department of Agriculture said it will host the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) program kickoff, national awarding ceremony, and business development services on June 6, through the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service.
The event at the Rice Biotechnology Center, PhilRice, is the culmination of a ladderized competition from the provincial to the national level.
Thirty-three YFC start-up finalists and 16 YFC upscale finalists will compete for the Top 12 in the Start-Up category and Top 5 in the Upscale category, showcasing their innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. The national finalists will also be joined by the YFC provincial and regional winners.
For this year, the YFC program included new components, like the start-up, upscale, and intercollegiate categories, to help and encourage more youth and students taking up agriculture-related courses to venture into agriculture and agribusiness.
In recognition of their outstanding innovation and achievements, the national awardees in the Start-Up category will get an additional capital grant of P300,000 to further develop and expand their enterprise.
For the Upscale category, an additional capitalization of P500,000 will be granted to the winners to improve and enhance their operations and foster an even greater impact on the agricultural landscape, the DA said in a statement.
“The YFC awardees have demonstrated exceptional commitment to sustainable farming practices, technological innovation, and community engagement. Their unwavering passion for agriculture and commitment to excellence not only distinguish them as exemplary leaders but also as young heroes driving positive change within the industry,” assistant secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevara said.
YFC is part of the DA’s ongoing commitment to supporting and promoting the growth of the agricultural community through youth engagement. The DA seeks to highlight the importance of young farmers in ensuring a resilient and thriving innovative and regenerative agricultural sector for years to come. ||
