Youth urged to venture into agri-fishery business

 

The winners of the Young Farmers Challenge 2024 pose for a photo together with the Department of Agriculture 7 officials. (RGC/PIA7 Cebu)

CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — The Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas is encouraging young entrepreneurs to engage in agriculture and fishery businesses.

This as DA noted that the demand for farmers has increased while the number of Filipinos going into farming is decreasing.

“As we can see, the demand for farmers has increased. So, we can see that our farmers are moving away from their farms because they want to go to the city or other places to farm,” said DA-7 Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division chief Aurea M. Madrio.

Madrio said the average age of farmers in the country is 54 years old, which shows the aging population of farmers and the need to encourage more people, especially the youth, to go into the agri-fishery sector.

He said young Filipinos can spearhead entrepreneurial initiatives and transform their business ideas into income-generating agri-fishery enterprises.
DA has been implementing the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) program, which provides a platform for the youth who want to enhance their entrepreneurial skills in agri-fishery production, processing, and digital marketing.

“The YFC is part of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act, which requires the participation of farmers to contribute to the development of the agricultural sector,” said Madrio.

A program aimed at empowering the next generation of Filipino farmers and entrepreneurs, the YFC is a key component of the Republic Act. 8435, or the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act.

This law aims to stop the trend of young people in rural areas leaving the farms in search of opportunities in urban areas.

DA emphasized the importance of empowering the youth through entrepreneurship in agriculture, which is a core goal of the YFC under the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act.

Madrio stressed the importance of attracting young minds back to the farms not just for traditional farming but for a modernized, entrepreneurial approach to agriculture.

“We would like to entice our youth to go back to the field by participating in the Young Farmers Challenge Program. Either in terms of production, where they can produce more crops, or they can go into processing either food or non-food items, and even into digital agriculture,” Madrio noted.

The YFC encourages participants to propose innovative business ideas by developing a business model canvas.

These ideas will undergo mentorship and technical support from the DA, preparing young agri-preneurs for the program’s start-up category competition at the provincial level.

Participants will pitch their business model to a panel of judges, where ideas are scored on innovation, feasibility, and potential impact.

Only those who achieve a score of 83 percent or higher will qualify for further support.

2024 awardees

DA recently awarded 29 outstanding young farmer entrepreneurs as the provincial awardees of the YFC 2024 during the awarding ceremony held on May 20.

They were recognized for their innovative agri-enterprise proposals, which passed rigorous evaluation based on their business model canvas, scoring above the 83 percent threshold required for qualification.

Among the provincial winners were 13 from Cebu, 10 from Bohol, 5 from Negros Oriental, and 1 from Siquijor.

These winners each received a financial grant of P80,000 to help expand their agricultural enterprises.

Seven regional winners were also awarded, with 2 each from Cebu, Bohol, and Negros Oriental, and 1 from Siquijor.

Each regional winner was given P150,000 in financial grant.

Three students from Bohol Island State University won in the Intercollegiate category and received a financial grant of P250,000, while 2 students were recognized under the Upskilling Category and received P300,000 each to further develop their skills and agri-based initiatives.

Madrio said this initiative goes beyond recognition and financial rewards, as is all about “purpose, innovation, and social responsibility.”

“This is not just about financial support, it’s about building a future where young people take the lead in food security, innovation, and agri-fishery development,” he said.

Jannu Gueseppe C. Clemeña, 29, from Argao, Cebu, is the founder of JGC In vitro, an agri-enterprise that produces banana tissue culture-derived seedlings, which is a high-quality, disease-free planting materials meant to help local farmers increase their yields and improve livelihoods.

One of the provincial awardees of the YFC 2024, Clemeña received a financial grant of P80,000, which he plans to spend on building a tissue culture laboratory in their community.

For him, the recognition is a validation of a lifelong mission.

“So this enterprise started because this is my profession, my passion, and my prayer. I’m a self-made agriculturist majoring in horticulture, specializing in tissue culture. So I want this technology to be known to our farmers, to our community, and especially to the youth in our nation,” said Clemeña.

Clemeña expressed his optimism that his story would motivate and inspire other young Filipinos to explore opportunities to earn income and at the same time contribute to the improvement of the nation’s agriculture sector.

“Engaging youth in agriculture and agri-fishery enterprise is really a sustainable technique and strategy for our government and stakeholders because the youth nowadays have innovative ideas and the available technology,” he added.

Once completed, Clemeña said that the tissue culture laboratory will serve not only as a facility for JGC In vitro but as a regional hub for producing and distributing quality planting materials.

Clemeña encouraged his fellow Filipino youth to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the government and showcase their skills and capabilities in supporting the efforts to ensure the country’s food security.

“Start now and show off your ideas and help our nation in our continuous mission for food security. Start now, show off your ideas, don’t hide them, and join us in our continuous mission for a food-secure nation,” Clemeña said. (RGC/PIA7 Cebu)