DA offers PHP 500,000 agripreneur grants in Iloilo

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Department of Agriculture is offering up to PHP 500,000 in grant funding to winning young agripreneurs through the Young Farmers Challenge National Pitching Competition in Iloilo City from April 20–24.

A total of 64 enterprises from 16 regions have advanced to the national finals, where participants are presenting agribusiness proposals before a panel of evaluators from government, industry, and the private sector.

The finalists are competing in three categories: 35 entries in the Start-Up Category, 15 in the Up-Scale Category, and 14 in the Intercollegiate Category.

Under the program’s incentive scheme, winners in the Start-Up Category will each receive PHP 300,000 in grant assistance, while winners in the Up-Scale and Intercollegiate categories will each receive PHP 500,000.

Launched in 2021, the Young Farmers Challenge is a Department of Agriculture grant and mentoring program designed to encourage youth participation in agriculture and agri-fishery enterprises.

The competition forms part of the program’s broader push to help turn youth-led ideas into viable agribusiness ventures.

Participants underwent provincial and regional screening, including training and capacity-building activities, before qualifying for the national stage.

Department of Agriculture–Western Visayas Regional Executive Director Dennis R. Arpia said the initiative is designed to help transform youth-led ideas into sustainable agribusiness ventures.

“This is an opportunity not only to showcase your individual capabilities, but also to demonstrate your commitment to a sector that remains a pillar of our economy and a foundation of national stability,” Arpia said.

Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing and Consumer Affairs Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said the finalists represent a new generation of innovators who can help drive growth in agriculture.

She added that the program seeks to strengthen the leadership and entrepreneurial capabilities of young farmers while addressing current challenges in the sector.

Winners will be announced April 23, with the awarding ceremony set at the Iloilo Convention Center.

The Department of Agriculture said the Young Farmers Challenge continues to expand as part of its efforts to build a more resilient and globally competitive agriculture sector by investing in young agripreneurs.