The UGM Faculty of Biology conducted a community service program focused on mitigating and handling the pandemic in Sleman Regency.
The programs raised the topics of food. One of them is to encourage the stability of family food fulfillment in urban areas, specifically in Condongcatur Village, Sleman, and the food diversification program in realizing food security in rural areas, particularly in Madurejo Village, Sleman.
The head of the research team and the Dean of the UGM Faculty of Biology, Prof. Budi S. Daryono, conveyed that the Covid-19 pandemic mitigation and handling program will be implemented until December 2020. This program aims to provide benefits to increase economic resilience. Also, it stimulates the process of adapting to new habits among the community in the face of a pandemic, especially in the food sector.
“The program offered is a form of mitigation for the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic from the food sector,” he explained on Thursday (13/8).
In implementing the program to maintain the stability of food supply for residents in rural areas in the Village of Condongcatur, he encourages the community to take advantage of the narrow land/yard to cultivate food crops by integrating with the processing of household waste into organic liquid fertilizer.
“The food crop cultivation program is combined with catfish cultivation,” he explained.
Meanwhile, there is assistance in the food diversification program by educating residents regarding milk pumpkin cultivation as a food diversification target. Previously, Madurejo students who have been assisted by the UGM Faculty of Biology conducted the food diversification program through pumpkin milk products three years ago. Currently, the Faculty of Biology is in the process of improving assistance to the students.
Not only about food diversification, but there was also training in processing household waste into organic liquid fertilizer and catfish feed given to the residents.
The program offered by UGM has received a positive response from residents. The Head of the Tunas Jaya farmer group, Madurejo Village, Maryanto, expressed that it was a great benefit of mentoring and guidance from the Faculty of Biology UGM. Especially during this pandemic, the presence of UGM in the community provides directions on how to achieve food security.
“We hope that there will be a sustainability program supported by independent seeds and marketing assistance for pumpkin milk flour products in the future,” he said.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/19881-fakultas-biologi-ugm-berdayakan-masyarakat-sleman-di-masa-pandemi
