KKNT Innovation IPB University Students Train Purwasari Farmers on Silage Feed Making
Students of IPB University’s Innovation Thematic-Real Work Lecture (KKNT) carried out an initiative that has great potential to improve the welfare of farmers in Purwasari Village, Bogor, West Java, through training on silage feed making.
Purwasari Village, located in a rural area with the majority of the population relying on the agriculture and livestock sector. Often, farmers face obstacles in providing adequate feed. This is a major challenge faced by local farmers, significantly affecting their productivity and income.
“In an effort to provide a sustainable solution, we chose to focus on silage feed making training. Silage is a fermented feed made from forage materials such as grass and other agricultural waste,” said Siti Nur Halizah, a student representative of KKNT Innovation IPB University.
She said that this silage-making technique is not only effective in improving feed quality, but can also utilize local ingredients that are abundant around Purwasari Village.
“Thus, this training not only provides a practical solution, but is also sustainable as it allows farmers to reduce the cost of purchasing expensive commercial feed and ensure stable feed availability throughout the year,” she said.
Through this training, Siti hopes that farmers in Purwasari Village can be independent in producing quality and cheap silage feed. This will have an impact on reducing livestock production costs, increasing profits, and ultimately improving the welfare of farmers in Purwasari Village.
The training process conducted by KKNT Innovation IPB University students involved practical steps ranging from raw material collection, fermentation techniques, to proper silage storage. Farmers in Purwasari Village are not only given theoretical knowledge but also directly involved in the practice of making silage.
“We also provide assistance to farmers in making silage feed. We help farmers in selecting raw materials, the manufacturing process, and storage of silage feed,” said Siti.
This assistance, she continued, is carried out periodically to ensure that farmers can produce silage feed correctly and optimally. The efforts of KKNT Innovation IPB University students are expected to help farmers in Purwasari Village in improving their quality of life. Through this training and mentoring, it is hoped that farmers can become more independent and prosperous.
“Collaboration between IPB University students and local farmer communities is key to the success of this initiative. In addition to providing direct benefits for farmers, this training also creates a closer relationship between universities and communities, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices in the agricultural sector,” she said.
As such, Siti said, this initiative not only serves as an example of how education and research can be applied in a real context to improve community welfare, but also inspires further collaboration in the future for the overall improvement of quality of life in rural areas. (*/Rz) (IAAS/PRO)
