The Department of Agriculture (DA) will hold the Young Farmers Challenge Season 5 National Competition, Business Conference, and Awarding Ceremony in Iloilo City, highlighting innovative agribusiness ideas from young Filipinos.
The event, organized by the DA Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service with DA Regional Field Office VI, will gather young entrepreneurs from across the country to present business ideas aimed at improving agriculture.
A total of 64 finalists will compete in three categories: 35 Start-Up finalists, 15 Upscale finalists, and 14 Intercollegiate finalists from state and local universities. Participants will pitch their agribusiness proposals to judges from government agencies and private companies.
Winners will receive P300,000 for the Start-Up category and P500,000 for Upscale and Intercollegiate categories to support their businesses.
Special awards will also recognize projects focused on innovation and sustainability. These include the Social Innovation Award, Excellence in Product Packaging and Labeling, Indigenous Innovation Award, Young Regenerative Agriculture Award, and Agriculture Technology Development Award, with additional P50,000 grants for selected Start-Up finalists.
According to Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., the awards aim to encourage a new generation of farmers who combine traditional knowledge with modern ideas.
Finalists will present their projects to judges from the DA, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Science and Technology, and private sector partners such as Unahco, Nestlé Philippines, Mama Sita’s, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, and Jollibee Foods Corporation.
The program will also feature the Young Farmers Challenge Summit and Business Conference on April 22, where agripreneurs, organizations, and program alumni will share experiences and discuss partnerships.
The final awarding ceremony will take place on April 23 at the Iloilo Convention Center.
Since the program started in 2021, the Young Farmers Challenge has reached 4,892 young Filipinos, helping them develop and launch agribusiness ventures.
