In a bid to attract more youth interns to the Young Internship Program for Organic Agriculture (YIPOA), the Regional Training of the Agricultural Training Institute in the Cordillera Administrative Region through its Organic Agriculture (OA) Program conducted online technical assistance regarding the application requirements of the said program on January 20, 2025.
Mr. Edwin C. Dicksen, the Organic Agriculture Focal Person discussed intensively the program, its goals and objectives, what YIPOA is all about including the eligibility criteria and corresponding documentary requirements for both the farm partners and interns for application. He also discussed the mechanics of implementation such as the application processes, screening and evaluation, selection, deployment, internship monitoring, incentives, and organic business or enterprise implementation. Open forum was also encouraged.
The application deadline was set for January 17, 2024, but was extended until January 24, 2025, as few applicants submitted their documents.
The YIPOA is a partnership program between the Department of Agriculture (DA), the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP), and the ATI. The program aims to encourage, develop and train the youth to become organic farmers and practitioners. It is a 21-month internship program meant to attract the youth in organic agriculture. It consists of: a) nine (9)-month on-farm internship with the chosen farm partner whose operation matches the proposed organic enterprise of the intern, and b) a 12-month enterprise implementation. Unlike other scholarship programs that only provide financial support, the program provides start-up support and mentoring for the implementation of its business plan and also to empower the youth to become organic agri-preneurs. The program targeted 150 youths annually and 75 farm partners coming from the different provinces in the country practicing chemical-free and/or organic farming systems, as beneficiaries.
