The Department of Agriculture (DA) has urged the youth to get actively involved in agri-business by participating in the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC).

In an interview on Wednesday, Richmond Pablo, the DA’s Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) chief in Calabarzon, said his office will be accepting applications for the YFC until June 30.

“Do not be afraid and do not be shy. We will be here to help you… The risk is high but the opportunity is also high. All you need is a good plan. Talk to your municipal agriculturists,” Pablo said.

He said it is understandable for the youth to not have a huge capital which is why it is important to link them to financing institutions.

The YFC is a program that provides opportunities for Filipino youth to develop a Business Model Canvas (BMC) and run an agricultural business by providing financial grant assistance.

At the provincial level, each province in Calabarzon will have six winners who will receive PHP18,000 per business model canvass, and the City of Lucena will be allotted three additional slots.

Pablo said the best business model canvass and best implementor at the provincial level will get an additional PHP200,000. Two winners at the national level will be receiving a PHP300,000 prize.

Likewise, the winner of the inter-collegiate competition among state universities and colleges in Calabarzon will receive PHP150,000.

“You do not have to pay anything, you just compete, you just enjoy, you just implement your business model canvass,” Pablo said.

He noted that there were 88 YFC awardees in 2021 and 99 awardees in 2022.

The judges in the competition are representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and an entrepreneur from the private sector.

Recently, AMAD conducted a Capacity Building and Action Planning Workshop for 22 YFC Awardees at Lipa Agriculture Research and Experiment Station to ensure the continuous implementation of the projects of the awardees and to guide the youth in the proper management and expansion of their respective businesses.

Meanwhile, other farmer cooperatives and associations can also apply up to PHP3.5 million for business development assistance (BDA).

The facilities and equipment that will be financed in BDA must be a shared service facility where young farmers are the target beneficiaries.

The DA official said that AMAD also provides interventions such as product development, capacity enhancement and enterprise development. (PNA)