IPB Launches Agripoint, People’s Market and Healthy Snacks in Posdaya Village at 2018 Farmers’ Market

In order to commemorate the 55th Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Anniversary, mainly to empower cassava and sweet potato farmers in the village or at the Family Empowerment Post (Posdaya) in the circumference of the IPB campus, the Research institutions and Community Service (LPPM ) of IPB in collaboration with the Student Executive Board (BEM-KM) of IPB held a launch of Agripoint, People's Market and Healthy Snack in Posdaya Village at the 2018 Farmers’ Market (PRT) with the theme "The Rise of Rural Economy", 23/9 at Dramaga IPB Campus, Bogor.

The PRT event is the dedication of IPB from the plantation to the consumers, where IPB creates market access for agricultural products and processed products. In addition to launching Agripoint, People's Market and Healthy Snacks in Posdaya Village, PRT was also enlivened with a series of activities including the Agricultural Product Bazaar, Children's Festival by Agrianita IPB, Student Art Performance, Culinary and Appreciation of IPB's Student Organizations.

The Rector of IPB, Dr. Arif Satria when opening the event said, "In the People’s market, IPB has fostered the farming community around the campus and the campus-level farming community wants IPB to have a contribution. The big contribution is how IPB can produce superior seeds that can be utilized by the circumference farming community campus and farmers around the campus can sell or market to IPB. IPB itself helps market these products or IPB as a facilitator for the market of farmers' products around the campus. If this can happen, IPB will really develop its innovations to benefit the community and farmers around campus."

"The People's Market can also provide convenience to farmers and the community around the IPB campus to create a sales transaction media for the products of farmers from IPB partner villages around the campus. Farmers can take advantage of the huge market potential in IPB with thousands of lecturers, students and education staff and alumni as well as various supporting businesses such as canteens scattered in IPB," said the Rector of IPB.

Hopely, the LPPM of IPB must continue to have an extraordinary role to boost the results of innovation in the community, so that the community will be more empowered and prosper the farming community.

"So by holding this People's Market will benefit all of us, this is part of IPB Share's activities on how IPB collaborates with the community to learn from each other and develop," he said.

"Hopely this is not only to be an event that is held every year but this becomes an activity that provides many benefits for the farming community around the campus," he said.

Therefore, he said,  LPPM will not stop at this event. "There will be activities that at any time side by side with the community, promoting and developing farmers through several programs," he explained.

For example, IPB organized the Agro Creative Field Station (SLAK), by preparing its graduates to assist the farming community around the campus to increase yields and small and medium businesses to be more developed.

The Coordinator of the Posdaya Service Team, P2SDM LPPM IPB, Ir. Yannefri Bakhtiar, MSi explained, the People’s Market was designed to foster benefits for various parties. For Posdaya and campus circumference communities, it will be easy to get the market, better prices, and initiated to make transactions every day. The creation of Posdaya will also increase with the opportunity to create processed agricultural products into village cakes which also become an integrated part of the People's Market.

"For IPB, we will get the benefits of shopping on campus, knowing the source and history of products purchased, can spread agricultural innovations to farmers, and expand the scope of the IPB service program to the community. In addition, students will be able to make the People's Market as a subject of study, practice and apprenticeship, even as a material for the preparation of various types of scientific works and also designed collaboration with IPB alumni entrepreneurs of agricultural products. For the local government, this activity will help the performance impact in improving the welfare of the community by facilitating the community to sell their agricultural products," he said.

While the chairman of BEM-KM, Qudsyi Ainul Fawaid said, agriculture must be maintained and improved to be better. PRT is a concept of community empowerment by IPB by developing market access for agricultural products and processed products in the farming community around the campus. Hopely a synergy activities like this can be increased to provide wider benefits. (FM)