ITB’s Team for Research Scattered in 3T Regions, IKN

ITB’s Team for Research Scattered in 3T Regions, IKN

reported by: Liu Setiawan

Serang, August 5, 2024/Indonesia Media – Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)’s team for research and empowering local people was not held by sudden program, and within allocated budget, but the selection decision had been made before. So far, the team for research scattered through not only in Java island, but also in the frontier, outermost and least developed (3T) regions and newly established capital city (IKN) in east Kalimantan (Kaltim). “ITB institute of research and empowering local people (LPPM), which is straight controlled by the rector carried out the selection of research proposals before the decision is made,” said Heri Rahman, the head of a team, doing research for beneng taro in Serang regency, Banten province.

Heri and another two researchers, two university students of ITB held research and empowered local people for entrepreneurship of beneng taro so there will be an improvement of the farmers’ capacity in Tanjungsari village, Serang Banten. The two researchers, Dadang Sumardi & Asep Hidayat have educational backgrounds in agrotechnology, genetics & molecular biology, and food technology, postharvest & agrotechnology respectively. “If the proposal is approved by LPPM ITB, budget disbursement will be done soon. The budget for research activity in Java island, amounting to 100 million rupiah (about 6,250 US Dollar), and 150 million for outside Java or 3T regions,” said Heri, who is also Lecturer/Academic Staff for School of  Life Sciences and Technology, ITB.

LPPM’s research activity in Tanjungsari village, Serang – Banten, was partnered with a community consisting of 40 members of farmers group. Agropreneur program for beneng taro, targeting the group which badly needed an improvement, especially an increase of added-value production. An expected result, that beneng taro will be exported, especially to Australia and the United States of America (USA). The farmers, in general, still lacked some aspects such as business management, farming technology, seed technology, harvesting, yield processing, export management and marketing. “Our activity has reached an item of cigarette rolling by hand-rolling. That is still a manual, since we can not afford to buy the machine for rolling (cigarettes). Therefore we still need some funds, so that we can boost production and export to Australia and the USA,” said Heri Rahman.

In Banten itself, there is 263 hectare of potential agricultural land for beneng taro, scattered in Pandeglang regency (197 hectares), Serang regency (19 hectares) and Lebak regency (47 hectares). The provincial government of Banten has committed to support the development program of beneng taro farming. “We do some research activities, such as the tuber and leaves of taro. The processing covers crisp foods, cigarette rolling, etc. the processing of leaves, and to be dried up would yield alternative tobacco,” said Heri Rahman. (LS/IM)