Agripreneur bootcamp boosts farm business innovation

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The Young Agripreneurs Building Opportunities, Nurturing Growth (YABONG) Bootcamp, a collaborative effort between East-West Seed Philippines (EWPH) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), is set to conclude its latest session on May 9, 2024.

The event will feature a pitching session, graduation, and an innovation fair at SEARCA in Los Baños, Laguna.

The bootcamp, which started three months ago, selected 20 young farmers from a pool of 160 applicants across Luzon. These agripreneurs, nearly half of whom are women, manage farms ranging from half a hectare to 12 hectares.

Participants have undergone extensive training to improve their vegetable production and entrepreneurial skills.

“May pera sa gulay,” commented John Francisco, one of the participants, emphasizing the profitability of vegetable farming. Genivie Marqueses added, “Nasa agrikultura ang pag-unlad ng future,” reflecting the progressive potential of agriculture in the Philippines.

Bicol farmer Mildred Ninofranco also shared her optimism about the future, noting, “I anticipate substantial improvements in my farming business, especially with new technologies and efficient farming practices.”

The bootcamp’s curriculum blends online learning with practical fieldwork. Topics include seed management, soil nutrients, pest control, and plant diseases.

Practical sessions covered skills like cross-pollination, mulching, transplanting, trellising, pruning, and vine management.

The farmers also visited EWPH’s facilities to learn about seed development, packaging, and shipping of tropical vegetables.

A key component of the program is the development of business plans. “These plans are crucial for strategy creation, partner recruitment, fundraising, decision-making, cash flow tracking, and effective marketing,” the organizers explained.

The training will culminate in a pitch competition where the top five business plans will receive a P50,000 boost to implement farm enhancements.

The plans will be evaluated based on their completeness, feasibility, sustainability, entrepreneurial mindset, innovativeness, and delivery.

On graduation day, these young agripreneurs will also participate in an innovation fair, open to the public, where they will showcase their value-added farm products and services.

The fair will also offer free consultations from plant and farm experts, enhancing the community’s engagement with innovative agricultural practices.