A young entrepreneur from the Cordillera is one of the awardees of the Department of Agriculture’s Outstanding Youth Agribusiness Models under the Young Famers Challenge Fund (YFCF), a grant assistance program for youth who engage in agri-fishery-based enterprises.
Harry Osboken, a Cordilleran youth entrepreneur and owner of Dalikan’s House of Sauces, is among the six finalists who won in the national competition.
Sec. William Dar recognized young farmer-entrepreneurs during the recent National Young Farmers Summit and YFCY or Kabataang Agribiz Grant Assistance Program awarding ceremony in Pangasinan.
Dar said young agripreneurs or “yaggies” are the new heroes of agriculture as he urged the youth to help solve the hunger dilemma in the country by venturing into agriculture.
The Kabataang Agribiz Grant Assistance Program aims to encourage the younger generation to put up ventures in line with agricultural development and food production.
It provides young agripreneurs financial aid to support them in starting or continuing agriculture enterprises such as crop and livestock production, fisheries, trading, processing, integrated farming, and agricultural technology.
Since its launch in April, DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service has awarded P50,000 start-up capital to each of the 1,179 provincial awardees.
From these, 48 were qualified for the regional level and received additional P150,000 grant.
The six finalists were awarded additional P300,000 grant each.
Osboken expressed gratitude to DA for the opportunity given to the youth that allowed them to create and implement their agribusiness.
“I’d like to thank DA for this wonderful opportunity. From the highlands, we seek opportunities in agriculture. We are very grateful for the chance given to us to develop our business and to be able to express our ideas,” he said.
Osboken, together with other young farmers from the Cordillera, was invited to several training, which allowed him to learn and be empowered in business and management and build networks for his business.
He joined the DA Kadiwa stores and activities where he was able to showcase and sell his products.
He also expressed gratitude to DA-Cordillera staff members for the support they provided during the preparation for the provincial, regional, and national competition of the Kabataang Agribiz.
Osboken encouraged young people to engage in agriculture.
“We have the best climate, we have the best land, and I am sure we are the best stewards of the land. If we continue to till the land that Lord had given us, it will give us prosperity and stability. To the youth, join any of the agriculture and entrepreneur activities. Do not be discouraged despite failing. Along the way, you will find success and reap the fruits of your labor. The only way to food security is agriculture; one way to have a greater chance to financial stability is business. Thus, agribusiness is the key to success,” he said. – Press release
