QUEZON CITY– Three young farmers received grants from the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) for their agribusiness proposals aimed at supporting food security and empowering local communities.
The winning project proposals crafted by Nelmar Sosas from Davao de Oro, Ariel Samillano from Antique and Aimee Basilio from Benguet came out as the outstanding agribusiness project proposals in terms of project sustainability, profitability, feasibility, and innovativeness. They bested out of the 14 presentations from the graduates of Young Filipino Farm Leaders Training Program in Japan (YFFLTPJ) batch 2023.
The project proposals were the outputs of the Post-Training Evaluation and Re-Entry Planning Workshop as part of the requirements for completing the YFFLTPJ. The proposals covered a wide range of agricultural initiatives from the 14 out of the 23 graduates coming from the different regions of the country. Ranging from sustainable farming practices to agribusiness ventures, the proposals were focused on supporting food security and empowering the communities in their respective areas.
Emerging as the most innovative project with transformative potential, Sosas showcased his aquaculture project, the Mr. N Aquaculture. Sosas’ project aimed at filling the lack of supply of quality, fresh hito and crayfish in their locality. He wished to be accredited as a Learning Site for Agriculture by the Institute in the future.
Samillano, on the other hand, presented his business proposal on mushroom and vermicomposting, the Upscales of Spores Agri-Tech, highlighting the zero-waste farming practices as their mission to care for the environment. He presented the processes of converting waste materials into valuable products as their significant contribution to food sufficiency and sustainability in their community.
The young lady farmer from Benguet, Basilio, presented her innovative project on greenhouse making, the A&B Nursery, where she intended to produce quality seedlings amidst the extreme weather conditions in the Cordilleras. The greenhouse technology in Basilio’s project not only addressed the immediate concerns in their community but also showcased its potential to offer a sustainable solution for long-term resilience and productivity.
The three winners received a grant amounting to Php 150,000 each, with continuous guidance and support by the local government units and ATI Training Center in their respective region.
The Agribusiness Pitching Session was held via Zoom last April 3, 2024, with a panel of judges from the ATI Central Office composed of Joeven C. Calasagsag, OIC-Chief of the Information Services Division, Bernard James R. Tandang, Project Development Officer III of the Policy and Planning Division, and Theresa Aurora B. Cosico, OIC-Assistant Chief of the Career Development and Management Division.
The winners were awarded during the send-off ceremony of YFFLTPJ batch 2024 last April 8, 2024 with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel as the guest speaker.
