State universities, LGUs urged to back young farmers

Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. urged local government units (LGUs) as well as agricultural colleges and universities in the country to fully support the Young Farmers Program (YFP), which he said could help provide livelihood and generate more jobs in their localities.

YFP is a novel agricultural program introduced by Magsaysay to encourage graduates of agriculture and fisheries including budding entrepreneurs to venture into agribusiness. Under the program, the government is committed to help participating entrepreneurs to secure loans representing 60 percent of the total capital needed for their proposed agriculture-related business. The 25 percent of their needed capital will be awarded as grant by the program, while the remaining 15 percent has to be raised by the proponents as equity.

"It was observed that many YFP applicants are having difficulty in producing their equity. I hope the LGUs can provide assistance to their constituents to address this particular problem," Magsaysay said.

"State colleges and universities, on the other hand, could offer for lease contract the idle or unutilized portion of their farm lands for use of YFP participants who do not own big lands suitable for their agricultural projects. They could also provide technical assistance," the senator said.

Magsaysay lauded and cited the initiatives of Mayor Nestor Fongwan of La Trinidad, Benguet and Benguet State University (BSU) president Dr. Rogelio Colting, who recently committed their support to the YFP.

Fongwan, in a meeting with YFP coordinators, offered to help YFP participants in their locality who have problems in raising their equity. He said that the municipal government would provide no interest loans coming from its livelihood program funds up to 50 percent of the needed equity of YFP participant.

The mayor also announced that Dole Asia would be buying from Benguet farmers nine tons of iceberg lettuce and six tons of scorpio lettuce per month, as well as a big volume of cherry tomato, which they usually procure from vegetable farmers in the Southern Philippines. This will be a big business opportunity for YFP participant, he said.

Colting, in committing his support, said that the BSU could provide technical assistance to YFP participants who would like to engage in organic vegetable farming. He added that the BSU could also provide to YFP participants, through lease contract, land areas not being used by the university.

Magsaysay reported that more than P7-million loans and P2.925 million as grants have already been released to help finance agribusiness projects of 45 YFP participants coming from various regions of the country.

Interested applicants may contact Virgie Agcopra or Larry Villanueva at 552-6601 local 5512, or Corie Villarino at 926-2241 and 920-4092.