Directorate of Agromaritime Community Development Assists Farmers of Campus Circle Assisted Partners through Saba Kampus
IPB University through the Directorate of Agromaritime Community Development (DPMA) again held Saba Kampus activities (7/7) with the theme 'Towards Self-sufficient Campus Circle Agriculture'. This activity was carried out at the Agribusiness and Technology Park (ATP), Cikarawang Village, Bogor Regency and invited IPB University's fostered partner farmers from the village around the campus.
Dr Iqbal Irfany as Assistant Director of Social Entrepreneurship (Sociopreneur) warmly welcomed the arrival of the farmer groups. He also introduced Saba Kampus activities that will be carried out as a form of IPB University's commitment in building synergy with fostered partner farmers.
"Through Saba Kampus, we hope to be a forum to answer all the complaints that are being experienced by farmers. We will also continue to be open through ATP IPB University," he said.
Also present in this activity was Sarwono, SP as Manager of ATP IPB University to provide briefing material to the farmers. The material was titled 'Fertilization: Organic Fertilizer as an Alternative Fertilizer'. This material was chosen based on the results of a survey of the ATP IPB University team to fostered partner farmers who were faced with fertilization problems.
"Fertilizer sources can be obtained from organic and chemical or non-organic materials. Organic fertilizers can be an alternative because chemical fertilizers are increasingly scarce, the restriction and elimination of subsidized fertilizers, and the increasing danger of negative impacts of chemical/non-organic fertilizers," Sarwono explained.
The Saba Kampus activity also invited Prof. Suryo Wiyono, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University as a resource person with the topic of 'Management of Pests and Diseases in Sweet Potato and Taro Plants'. He conveyed various types of pests and diseases that commonly attack plants, especially in sweet potato and taro commodities.
"One of the efforts that can be made to increase plant resistance to pests and diseases, farmers can use Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) biofertilizer," he said.
The farmers' enthusiasm was evidenced by the highly interactive discussions with the resource persons. One of the representatives of the Cikarawang Village farmer group, Ahmad Bastari, shared the benefits he received while participating in Saba Kampus. According to him, this program is very appropriate for farmers, because it can be a forum for sharing complaints about the problems they experience.
"Through Saba Kampus, farmers can discuss directly with experts from IPB University about obstacles, diseases, pests in plants, to be equipped with how to overcome these problems. Hopefully, the farmers, especially in the campus neighborhood, can become prosperous," he concluded. (*/Rz) (IAAS/ARD)
