To support Filipino youths who wish to venture or already venturing into farming, fishing, animal raising, and other agriculture-based activities, the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS), recognized 25 agri-youths and youth groups from various parts of the country for their modern and innovative business models during the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) 2024 National Awarding Ceremony at the Baguio Cultural Convention Center, July 17.

The YFC Program highlights the youth as the nation’s hope and key to achieving a Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas, which also forms part of the advocacies of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.

This year, 62 YFC national level finalists received financial grants of P150,000 each; 34 were under the Start-Up component, while the remaining 15 and 13 were in the Upscale and Intercollegiate components, respectively.

The following Top 15 YFC Start-Up national awardees under four categories each received an additional P300,000 financial grant:

• Production Category: Tinigban Bee Reserve (Region VII), Carl’s Pabo-Rito (Region X), Berrylicious (CAR), La Farmia Agrinova (Region X), at Brackish Venture (Region XIII);
• Food Processing Category: Yamazing Innovation (Region VII), Chips N’ Joy (Region III), Janijin Food Products (Region II), Aquaplus Food Products Manufacturing (Region XI), at The North Brew Barista Bites (Region II);
• Non-Food Processing Category: L’Reinvente, (Region III), Eco Pure Cleaning Solutions (Region V), at Ecosheets (Region VI); and
• Digital Agriculture Category: Reel Time Tech (Region VI) at Uma-Ani Tech Solution (Region XII).

The YFC Upscale national level awardees, namely, Bluecrust Processed Food Products (Region VII), Oz Greens Vegetable Farm (Region X), Hiyas Urban Mushroom Farm (Region IV-A), Perr-res Fruit Food Products Processing (Region I), and Kwaktutubo: Kilusang Wais sa Agrikultura at Kaalaman Kasama ang Katutubo (Region III), also received an additional grant worth P500,000 each.

Palaypel (Region XII), CirPro Innovations (Region VI), and BlackGold NutriBar (Region XIII) also received recognition and P500,000 financial grant as the YFC Intercollegiate national level awardees.

This year’s competition also featured five special awards for the following outstanding YFC Start-Up finalists:

• Social Innovation Award: Tinigban Bee Reserve (Region VII);
• Excellence in Product Packaging and Labelling: Banahaw Creations (Region IV-A);
• Indigenous Innovation Award: Berrylicious (CAR);
• Young Regenerative Agriculture: Ben’s Farm (Region VII); and
• Agriculture Technology Development Award: Reel Time Tech (Region VI).

Since its launch in 2021, the YFC Program has successfully supported 4,313 agri-youths and youth groups. ### (Krystelle Ymari A. Vergara, DA-AFID; photos by Gian Carlo P. Luague, DA-AFID)