BANDUNG, unpas.ac.id – Economic empowerment is a program aimed to build people’s independence and awareness, as well as improve people’s economic quality.
The effort of empowering the economy can be implement through the MBKM Program for Regulation Research and Research-result-based Community Service (Program Penelitian Kebijakan MBKM dan Pengabdian Masyarakat Berbasis Hasil Penelitian) held by Kemendikbudristek.
One of the community service teams led by Dr. Ir. Yusman Taufik, M.P takes advantages of grant-fund provided by the program to empower the farmers’ economy in West Java, especially di Ciwidey, Bandng District.
The community service, bringing the theme ‘Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Petani Black Mulberry di Tengah Kondisi Covid-19 di Wilayah Ciwidey, Kabupaten Bandung, Jawa Barat, Melalui Pelatihan Produksi Jus Black Mulberry’ took place at Renko Fruit Fam owned by Reni Sekaryani.
Based on early identification, problems faced by Renko Fruit Farm as partner of community service, are that, black mulberry is difficult to be absorb in the market when the amount of harvest is over limited. Its selling system still relies on fresh fruit, not from the processed products
The partner is still not able to carry out the diversification of black mulberry processed product to respond to the change of marketing environment. In addition, partners also lacks of knowledge in understanding business management, such as planning, organizing, supervising and controlling.
“Renko Fruit Fam has not yet owned their loyal consumer or marketing segment, business network and proper amount of capital to purchase the production machine and equipment,” he explained.
Those problems are further re-sorted to be two prioritized ones, namely its implementation of technology for black mulberry production and entrepreneurship issues.
“Regarding the production implementation, these partners have not yet owned the qualified technology to pack the product which is relatively productive,” he continued.
Meanwhile, for entrepreneurship problems, partners lacks of knowledge in understanding the characteristics of entrepreneurship, business plans, and financial management. In addition, partners have not applied a good selling price determination.
“In this community service program in Ciwidey, we have applied appropriate technology using our patented pulper,” he said.
Later, the output target of this program will be in the form of publications in journals with ISSN in the Journal of Community Empowerment, Universitas Islam Nusantara (Uninus) Bandung and publications in mass media. (Reta)*
