ILOILO City – The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas is optimistic that more youth in the region will get involved in agriculture through the “Kabataang Agribiz” program.
According to DA-6 regional executive director Remelyn Recoter, the Kabataang Agribiz Competitive Grant Assistance Program is one of the government’s actions to address the declining number of farmworkers and the aging population of farmers.
“As one of the of the key strategies of the ONE DA Reform Agenda, engagement of the youth in transforming the Philippine agriculture is very important,” she said.
The average age of farmers and fishers is 57 years old, and Western Visayas has 44.11 percent who belong to those aging above 50 years old out of the 700,000 plus Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture-listed farmers.
“This Kabataang Agribiz is hoped to encourage our youths to get involved in agriculture. Another strategy which would interest them is digital agriculture,” Recoter added.
Meanwhile, a total of 74 youths from the different provinces of Western Visayas who took part in the Business Model Canvas orientation on May 24 are encouraged to send market-driven project proposals for the Kabataang Agribiz Program before June 15.
For Rhea Cristina Resol, program focal person of DA-6, the project proposals should be profitable, sustainable, and viable.
“Your agribusiness project should not depend on grants or subsidies alone. It means that your enterprise can thrive even after the project duration,” she added.
Interested applicants – individual or group-can generate proposals for crops, livestock, and fishery production, trading, processing, integrated farming, and agricultural technology or innovation.
The agency prefers the applicants who have formal or non-formal education and training in the agri- fishery and must implement related enterprises gearing to advance the sector.
Based on the program guidelines, the DA targets 1,300 workable proposals nationwide as winners at the provincial level, and each shall receive P50,000.00 prizes to fund the projects.
Three enterprises will be chosen as winners in every region with a P150,000.00 project grant; the best six agribusiness projects will be awarded P300,000.00 each as national winners.(PIA)
