Young Farmers Lead the Way in Agri-Innovation
The Department of Agriculture (DA) honored the country’s most promising agri-entrepreneurs during the 2024 Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) national awarding held on July 17, 2025, at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center. The event recognized youth-led enterprises that are transforming agriculture through innovation, sustainability, and community impact. DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel emphasized the role of young farmers as “catalysts of change—not tomorrow, but today,” highlighting their contributions to food security and modern farming. Since its launch in 2021, the YFC program has supported over 4,300 young Filipinos. The YFC Startup national awardees for the Production Category are Dignity Lagunay of Tinibgan Bee, Carl Dembver Ibarra of Carl’s Pabo-rito, Rosemarie Lay-os of Berrylicious, Angel Mae Pastrano Bautista of La Farmia Agrinova, and Edison Lingaya of Brackish Venture. For the Food Processing category, the winners are Jenifer Marie Gasatan of Yamazing Innovati...
