CARE of IPB supports the Coastal Community Empowerment Program in Karawang

The north coast of Karawang is one of the centers of seaweed in West Java, even in Indonesia. Based on this potential, the Center for Conflict Resolution Studies (CARE) of Institute for Research and Community Services (LPPM) of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) is trusted by PT Pertamina EP Asset 3 Tambun Field to support them in running the Community Social Responsibility (CSR) program in Sedari Village, Cibuaya District, Karawang Regency, West Java. This program is named "Bumi Kreatif Agar Makmur".

General Manager of PT Pertamina EP Asset 3 Wisnu Hindadari and Karawang Regent Cellica Nurrachadiana inaugurated the community empowerment program "Bumi Kreatif Agar Makmur" in Sedari Village, Cibuaya District, Karawang Regency, at the end of August.

According to Prof. Rizal Syarief, Chair of IPB LPPM CARE Advisory Board, this program is an innovation in the utilization of seaweed waste products. So far, people in Cibuaya and surrounding areas have cultivated and processed seaweed. Most of the seaweed productions is sold to PT. Agarindo as a marketing partner, but there is some seaweed that cannot be sold because the grade is too low. "Thus, it automatically becomes waste. Innovation in this program is the utilization of seaweed waste as feed for milkfish," he said.

According to Usup, Chairman of the Mina Agar Makmur Cooperative, fish feed from seaweed will greatly help farmers in the vicinity of Cibuaya because the price of fish feed from the manufactory is quite expensive. "Alhamdulillah, in 2018 PT. Pertamina EP Asset 3 Tambun Field provides a support to our cooperative in the form of a set of feed processing machines that utilize seaweed waste, along with the training and assistance needed," he said.

Furthermore, Usup said that the program to use seaweed for fish feed is needed because the farmers there apply the polyculture system for their ponds, namely polyculture between seaweed and milkfish.

Usup hopes that the synergy between PT. Pertamina EP, IPB, the government and related parties can keep continuing so that the development of seaweed in the future will be more advanced and coastal communities in particular will be more prosperous.

Mina Agar Makmur Cooperative which has become a fostered partner of PT. Pertamina EP's CSR since 2015 is a cooperative focused in seaweed. To date, the cooperative has already owned 72 members with more than 400 partners spread in Karawang, Bekasi, Subang and Indramayu. (af/ZSP/Zul)