Philippine Agriculture Department Reports Success in Engaging Youth in Farming Through YIPOA

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Friday that its Youth Intern Program for Organic Agriculture (YIPOA) has successfully engaged more young people in farming, providing substantial earnings for participants since its inception in 2023.

According to Philippines News Agency, DA-National Organic Agriculture Program Director Bernadette San Juan during the Usapang Agrikultura broadcast on Radyo Pilipinas, the initiative has not only introduced a new generation to the agricultural sector but also offered them lucrative opportunities. One notable example cited by San Juan involves a 22-year-old out-of-school female youth who earns between PHP1,200 to PHP1,500 daily by selling duck eggs, highlighting a successful 70-percent harvest rate in her poultry production.

YIPOA offers a nine-month internship that places youth directly in the fields under the guidance of farmer-partners across the country. Participants receive a monthly allowance of PHP5,000 and undergo hands-on training in various agricultural practices including crop planting, livestock raising, natural fertilizer creation, agricultural machinery troubleshooting, and food processing.

Upon completing the internship, beneficiaries are provided with PHP150,000 worth of capital to start their own agricultural endeavors, along with a PHP10,000 monthly allowance during the initial post-internship period as they await their first harvests. “We are the only program that offers such a significant start-up capital after nine months. There is currently no other scholarship program that provides such an amount,” San Juan stated.

The program’s acceptance among the youth is overwhelmingly positive, reflecting a broader shift in the attitudes of young Filipinos towards agriculture. San Juan noted the emerging trend of young people showing a keen interest in adopting a farming lifestyle, a significant cultural shift from previous generations.

Currently, YIPOA supports 150 young individuals, fostering a new generation of farmers equipped with modern agricultural skills. In addition to YIPOA, the DA-National Organic Agriculture Program also runs other initiatives such as the Organic Agriculture Livelihood Program, which grants PHP5 million worth of support to farmer organizations to address value-chain gaps, and the Soil Health Program, aimed at enhancing soil quality to boost agricultural production and resilience.