95 percent of young farmers’ challenge provincial winners in Central Visayas currently receive DA support

Around 95 percent of the provincial winners of the Young Farmers’ Challenge (YFC) in 2021 pursued a career in agribusiness. According to Ligaya Ebarita, YFC focal, one of the support enjoyed by the provincial winners in the region is the ongoing Simplified Financial Management Training conducted at a hotel in Cebu City.

Ebarita advised the young farmers to do agribusiness with a heart, perform with a purpose, and focus on the market. She added that the DA continues to support the young farmers through a continuing financial literacy training and business development services which include business registration and licensing among others.

The participants of the training may likewise avail of the KAYA program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) which can finance capital requirements of start-up or existing agri-fishery based projects of young entrepreneurs and agri-fishery graduates aged 18-30 years old. The KAYA program offers up to P500T loan per borrower payable in five years at 0% interest according to Marie Alcover, ACPC focal.
The young farmer participants are advised to register at the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture for them to qualify of all government support.

Albert Lopez, business development officer of the Philippine Rural Development Project, and resource person of the training, shared his expertise on income statement, cash flow, and business model cavass preparation. Lopez said that knowledge acquired on the said training is essential for the young farmers to sustain their agribusiness.

Kay Ann Maningo, 25 years old from Siquijor, a training participant and one of the provincial winners of the YFC competition in 2021 , started her free range chicken production after winning the provincial competition. Surprisingly, she was able to expand her poultry farm and azolla pond and plans to create a demo and eco farm. She currently supplies live chicken, and meat to resorts in the island and currently earns an average monthly income of P20T per month.

It is learned that some of the 45 young farmer participants are already engaged into various agribusiness ventures such as swine raising, native chicken production, vegetable and crop production among others.