“Gusto po nating hikayatin na makapag-umpisa ang kabataan ng kani-kanilang agricultural enterprise para pagyamanin lalo ang agrikultura sa ating rehiyon at maging sa ating bansa.”

Justine Marco Vivas, Department of Agriculture IV-CALABARZON (DA-4A) Kabataang Agribiz Competitive Grant Assistance Program Coordinator, emphasized the importance of the youth in agriculture during the Kabataang Agribiz Competitive Grant Assistance Program regional virtual orientation on May 20 and was attended by 228 CALABARZON youth participants in the region.

With the number of farmers declined by 1.5% per year, the said program aims to encourage the youth to become the next generation key players in agriculture through providing investment as a prize to the winners.

“Upang masolusyonan ang problemang ito, ang atin pong Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka ay gumagawa ng isang programa para sa ating mga kabataang Pilipino upang makapagsimula ng kanilang mga negosyo,” Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.

Youth with an agriculture background, either with formal or non-formal education, need to submit their business model canvas (BMC) with the required nine key components (value proposition, customer segments, marketing channels, customer relationship, key resources, key activities, key partners, cost structure, revenue streams) until June 15. BMC will be evaluated by the panel of judges during the provincial level of the competition according to the following criteria: entrepreneurial attitude, innovativeness, revenue stream, and value addition. Each province will have three winners that will receive P50,000 as start-up investment for the implementation of their agri-business and will advance to the regional level. The top three youth agripreneur from the region will receive a P150,000 grant and advance to the national level. The grand winner will receive a P300,000 grant that will also be used for the improvement and development of the agri-business.

Interested youth, even those who were not able to attend the orientation, can submit their BMC until June 15.

For more information, participants may contact DA-4A Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division through amad@calabarzon.da.gov.ph. #### (Reina Beatriz P. Peralta, DA-4A RAFIS)