THE Davao City Agriculture's Office (CAO) and University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) is brewing a project that is entrepreneurial and agricultural.
It will be called the Agribeshies project. The name itself speaks directly to the youth of today, generally referred as the millennials, thus, it is expected to interest them.
The project aims to expose school-based agribusiness students to actual agribusiness management and hands-on training to be able to increase their interest on agribusiness. Aside from this, they will also be partnering with 4H, an organization of some 200 youth farmers in eight agricultural districts in the city – some of them out-of-school youths.
In the Agribeshies project, youth beneficiaries will be guided and mentored by the Agribusiness professors and advisers from the university as well as some of the city's agriculturists. It will be implemented in phases. First phase is targeted to kick off on the last quarter of 2018 which will be focusing on capacity-building, business organizing, basic accounting, and farm tours.
In a report on Wednesday, CAO head Leo Brian Leuterio said the ultimate goal is for the groups to identify and propose a market-driven project on agribusiness.
"We believe it is a very good laboratory to experience real agribusiness exposure because they will need to collaborate. They need to deal with people and homeowners. They have to do proper documentation. They have to be registered as a business. This is serious," Leuterio said.
There is no denying that the country faces a shortage of farmers for the next generation, a problem that is screaming for solutions.
The lack of interest in farming is plaguing the country with the youth wanting to move to the urban areas or overseas for better opportunities.
Yes, it is common knowledge that farmers help provide food but only few know that there is wealth in agriculture especially when it is done sustainably and dealt fair by the sector's movers and shakers.
Recognizing this, the academe, the agriculture department, the private sector and the local government units must meet and cooperate in moving forward and banner agriculture and business in the elementary and secondary levels for the youth to pursue agri-based courses in the collegiate level.
Awareness and campaign on the treasures of farming must be amplified to all sectors especially the youth to make farming and agribusiness appealing to them.
City Agri's Agribeshies is a welcome project. The initiative is to be lauded as it is something the city needs to revive agribusiness awareness among youth. Let us hope that this is not just another project that settles on the papers and speeches. Let us make this happen.