The Department of Agriculture Cordillera (DA-CAR) in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry Cordillera (DTI-CAR), and the Agriculture Program Coordinating Office (APCO) Baguio City have started the search for this year’s Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) for the start-up, up-scale, collegiate, and provincial categories.
For the start-up category, the said winner will be provided with a grant that shall serve as start-up financial capital for the proposed agri-fishery enterprise operated by either an individual or a joint venture of two or more youth.
In Baguio City, Christian Daniel Cuyo, Reyner Mang-osan, and Jeffrey Suanding presented their Yummytaste hot sauce made from strawberry and chili sauce as their Business Model Canvas (BMC) for the start-up category in the provincial level to the judges composed of DA-CAR Senior Agriculturist May Ann Tuba-ang, Layla Corro of DTI-Benguet, Guadaleva Coteng representing the private sector, and Meriam Micklay of APCO Baguio that underwent the necessary BMC model canvas and critiquing, computation and finalization of scores, categorized by the judges to be in the satisfactory level.
The judges decided to grant them an P80,000 start-up grant, aside from the judge’s recommendation for them to undergo guidance on better packaging and labeling, improved distribution channel, and to be briefed on the regulatory requirements for a business model.
Based on DA-Memorandum Circular No.49, series of 2024, a competitive financial grant assistance program for the youth who will engage in new or start-up agri-fishery enterprises will continue, and be open to all interested youth ages 18-30 with a business idea and a potential for profit.
For the YFC scale-up competition, three teams were chosen to be provided with a P300,000 grant each to support these previous awardees in their initially started agribusiness to improve and upscale the operation of their existing agri-fishery enterprise by providing them additional capital in the form of competitive financial grant assistance, including upgrading equipment/ assets, creating new product lines, improving marketing efforts, as well as permits and licenses, among others.
Reymart Manawas of the Paingan Integrated Farm of Sagada, Mountain Province was initially chosen after presenting Inuh feeds that produces feeds for chicken, duck, hog, and ruminant as his BMC, that focused on the need to replace his feed processing equipment that was affected by a recent forest fire in their area.
Manawas reiterated the need for the feed processing equipment to further his production, and for him to reach his goal of being the sole supplier of the said feeds in their municipality and province.
Jo Marie Ann Mangeg of the MAFAMCI Agri Products OPC from Buguias, Benguet was the second recipient of the up-scale grant after presenting her tamarillo and rhubarb dehydrated products as her BMC. Wangad pointed out the necessity of a tamarillo and rhubarb dehydration processing facility to improve and maintain production.
The third recipient of the up-scale grant was Lovy Trinidad of Apayao who presented the Rasawan Ulang Aqua Farm showcasing the production of fresh water prawn, expanding to be a fish and dine tourism site as her BMC.
Trinidad projects a high margin of profitability from the expansion of the aqua farm into a fish and dine tourism site due to the available land to be developed, that supports rural tourism at tune to Republic Act 10816 or the Farm and Tourism Development Act of 2016.
DA-Memorandum Circular No.50, series of 2024 or the Implementing guidelines for the YFC up-scale supports previous awardees in their initially started agribusiness to improve and upscale the operation of their existing agri-fishery enterprise by providing them additional capital in the form of competitive financial grant assistance, including upgrading equipment/ assets, creating new product lines, improving marketing efforts, as well as permits and licenses, among others. By JTLlanes