DILIMAN, Quezon City—More young farmers are on their way towards shaping the agricultural sector as a more innovative and business-centric industry after learning different local and international farming practices.

After his 11-month on-farm training in Japan, 24-year-old Jay Intes said that he will explore agribusiness further for their family farm in Calinan, Davao City. Intes is one of the 2019 trainees under the Young Filipino Farm Leaders Training Program in Japan (YFFLTPJ).

“I want to engage more into agribusiness because this is where we lack somehow,” he explained.

Intes and the 20 other trainees returned to the country last February 22. They underwent an Assessment and Post-Evaluation Activity conducted by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) last February 24-28, 2020.

A Chance to Innovate

Intes’ newly found pursuit is motivated by one of the lessons he learned from his Japanese host farmer, which is to “always think out of the box.” During his stay in Okayama Prefecture, his “otousan” (father), Shigenari Ohuchi, would often remind him of the value of innovation when it comes to farming.

“Upon my arrival, he’d advised me to always come up with ways that will make me different from my fellow young farmers,” he recounted.

As months passed, Intes observed that farming in Japan is inclined into processing and value-adding of agricultural products. With this in mind, the 2019 trainee was motivated to go beyond the production aspect of farming.

While most farmers look for new technologies on crop production, Intes thought it would also be advantageous to see the potential of farming as an enterprise operating on its own. This, he said, could also bring back interest in farming among his generation.

As a cacao farmer Intes plans to venture into the cocoa business while also developing ideas on processing durian.

“I will share among my 4-H Club members the mindset of thinking deep and knowing what else could be done to profit more out of our existing farm products,” he remarked.

Life-long Learning

Like Intes, 25-year-old Arcel Custodio of Libungan, North Cotabato also believes that there are still more discoveries in Philippine agriculture. Custodio trained in Miyazaki, Japan, with a farmer who specializes in cherry tomato.

In an interview, Custodio shared some of the things that stood out to her about Japanese farmers. Aside from their mechanized farming system, she noted the farmers’ initiative to help each other out without waiting for the government’s intervention.

“I learned from them that planning is very important especially for contingency measures in case of disasters and pests,” Custodio, one of the three female trainees in the group, said.

As she returns to her job in an ATI Learning Site for Agriculture in Libungan, Custodio cannot wait to use her newly gained knowledge to develop the farm, focusing on tomato and bitter gourd. She also plans to enroll in an agriculture course at a local university and further nurture her passion for farming, something that Japanese farmers had also shown her.

“To other young farmers, I hope that you don’t stop learning. Do not be afraid to ask and then make sure that you apply your knowledge. While not everything you do will have good results, just learn from your mistakes,” she said.

During the week-long assessment, Custodio and Intes shared these experiences, alongside the other returning trainees, with the Batch 2020 farmers. They also developed their respective farm proposals, which will be funded as part of the exchange program.

Prior to the activity, the trainees met with Agriculture Secretary William Dar and ATI Director Alfredo Aton. The two officials congratulated them and assured them of their support in their agricultural endeavors.

The YFFLTPJ is a partnership program of ATI and the Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC). It aims to develop the skills of young farmers on different aspects of agriculture. (with reports from Erika Vizcarra)