Hope remains high for PH agriculture with new generation of farmers

MANILA – Senator Imee Marcos has high hopes that the new generation of enterprising young farmers will keep Philippine agriculture alive.

“Alam kong marami ang duda kung kaya pa ba natin i-ahon ang sektor ng agrikultura sa nalalapit na hinaharap lalo’t may krisis tayo sa bigas ngayon, marami sa ating mga kababayan ang nagugutom, at hindi ito mahahanapan ng solusyon agad-agad (I know there are many who doubt if we will be able to uplift the agricultural sector in the near future, especially with the current rice crisis, many of our countrymen are hungry, and there’s no immediate solution)," she said in a Thursday news release.

“But for as long as there are committed young Filipino farmers out there who are willing to keep our agriculture sector alive, my hope will always remain high,” Marcos said.

She said her optimism is bolstered by the upcoming awarding of the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) Program 2023 of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on June 6 in Nueva Ecija, considered the “Rice Granary” of the Philippines.

The YFC program is a competitive financial grant assistance that aims to bring back the Filipino youth to agriculture by providing access to capital to enable them to venture into profitable agriculture, agri-fishery, and agribusiness and agri-entrepreneurship enterprises, and providing business development assistance.

Since its inception in 2021, the YFC program has supported over 3,625 beneficiaries operating their agribusiness enterprises in production (crop production, poultry, livestock, aquaculture, vermiculture, urban agriculture, horticulture); food processing (chocolate, mushroom by-products, processed vegetables, processed fruits); digital agriculture; and supply chain business solutions.

"The young are not encouraged to get into the agriculture sector mainly because they see farmers remaining poor despite working daily – rain or shine – and thus, they prefer to seek more profitable professions in our big cities," Marcos said.

“We need programs such as the YFC to make farming more attractive to them, encourage agri-fishery and livestock innovations, otherwise we will continue to lose workers in the agriculture sector,” she said.

To further encourage the youth to engage in agriculture and participate in seeking solutions to the problems facing the sector, Marcos has initiated the “BIGAYAN 2024 (Bigas at Bayan)” thought leaders roundtable discussion on the country's rice situation.

BIGAYAN will be one of the highlights of the YFC awarding ceremonies, alongside the first ever rice summit.

Participants in the event include the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), DA, National Irrigation Administration (NIA), local government unit (LGU) representatives, Young Farmers Challenge Alumni (SAKAHON), Federation of Free Farmers, University of the Philippines School of Economics, agricultural cooperatives, top KADIWA performing cooperatives, and millers, among others.

"Through 'BIGAYAN 2024', our young farmers bring hope and innovation to our failing agricultural sector. A roundtable discussion by thought leaders from various sectors will posit new solutions to our rice crisis," Marcos said.

Marcos also proposed a bill to institutionalize the YFC program and create the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council.

She said the bill seeks to address the myriad problems of the youth in the countryside by decreeing a new program which, through a whole-of-government approach, undertakes the renewed participation of young farmers and fisherfolk in the development of rural areas. (PNA)