Young farmers from Western Visayas and Negros Occidental bagged awards for their innovative agriculture projects during the awarding ceremony of the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) Program Season 5 at the Iloilo Convention Center here on Thursday.

Now in its fifth year, the Department of Agriculture program gathered young agripreneurs from 16 regions in the country starting April 20 for a series of events, including the YFC national pitching competition, business conference, and awarding ceremony.

A total of 64 enterprises, comprising 35 entries for the Start Up category, 15 for the Up-Scale and 14 under the Intercollegiate, presented their agribusiness proposals before a panel of experts, stakeholders and industry leaders.

Erica Jane Hadlocon and Rian Kierre Golez of San Lorenzo, Guimaras, won first place for their Agribnv project under the Start Up digital category.

Joy Saban of Lambunao, Iloilo placed third for her Banana Kingdom Food Products; while Geneco Mabasa from Bugasong, Antique, was awarded fourth for his Sirit Kuriit Food Products, both under the Start Up food processing category.

The K & L EcoFeed by Karlo Mindanao and Lynne Rose Mindanao of Pontevedra, Negros Occidental won in the Start Up non-food category, as well as received the Young Regenerative Agriculture Award.

Meanwhile, Anita’s Juice Corner of Ross Anthony Borda from Kalibo, Aklan was adjudged fourth for the Upscale component.

The winners in the Start Up component won PHP300,000 each and PHP500,000 for the Upscale component.

In a press conference, Agriculture Undersecretary for High Value Crops Development Cherryl Marie Caballero said the Young Farmers Challenge is a platform meant to “attract and engage.”

She said the program lays down the structural support that will harness a favorable environment for entrepreneurship.

“The entrepreneurship that we look into is to create a culture of innovation and dreamers. These kids dreamed of winning the Young Farmers Challenge because there is a prize. But beyond the prize is the attitude that we have harnessed,” she said, adding that the DA sees it as a mechanism where local government units see the value of working with the youth.

Caballero said LGUs are the ones that laid down the rules, guidelines and regulations and incentives.

State universities and colleges have roles in mentoring the youth, she added.

Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness and Consumer Affairs Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said the YFC also serves as a platform for the government to directly provide support to those with the potential to change the agricultural landscape. (PNA)