Babel State Polman Lecturer's Service, Palm Oil Thrashing Machine Improves Welfare of Zed Village Farmers
The Bangka Belitung State Police Lecturer Team handed over the palm frond chopping machine to the Sumber Rezeki Farmers Group in Zed Village, Puding Besar District, Bangka Regency. This innovation aims to convert palm oil plantation waste into alternative feed for cattle that is more economical and sustainable.
The Bangka Belitung Islands Province is shifting from dependence on the mining sector to a new focus on the tourism and agricultural sectors. Declining tin reserves and land damage due to mining triggered this shift.
As part of this effort, the livestock sector is of primary concern due to its potential green fodder sources and large areas of land. One of the efforts made is to introduce new technology to support the development of local livestock.
In order to support the development of livestock in Bangka Belitung, lecturers at the Bangka Belitung State Manufacturing Polytechnic (Polman Babel) are implementing a community service program. On Thursday (05/09/2024), the lecturer team handed over a palm frond chopping machine to the Sumber Rezeki Farmers Group in Zet Village, Puding Besar District, Bangka Regency. This event was attended by local village officials and Agricultural Extension partners from the Bangka Regency Food and Agriculture Service.
This service program is led by Erwanto, M.T., with support from other lecturers, namely Erwansyah, M.T., and Boy Rollastin, M.T., as well as a student named Risky Arisandy. During the handover ceremony, the service team provided training on the use, operation and maintenance of palm frond chopping machines to members of the Sumber Rezeki Farmers Group. This training aims to enable partners to make maximum use of this technology to meet cattle feed needs.
As team leader, Erwanto., M.T. said the palm frond chopping machine was designed to overcome the problem of providing green fodder for local farmers, who often depend on the availability of wild grass. "By utilizing palm frond waste which is widely available around oil palm plantations, farmers can produce a mixture of fermented cow feed silage, which is more durable and highly nutritious," he said.
"This technology allows for scheduled feeding, especially in the dry season when green feed is difficult to obtain," he said.
Apart from technical training, this service activity also provides educational benefits for the Polman Babel students involved. This program supports the Independent Learning Campus (MBKM) initiative, with participating students able to claim up to 20 of their mandatory credits. This direct experience in the field provides practical insight into how technology can be applied to address real problems in society.
The Bangka Belitung Islands Provincial Government through the Agriculture Service is targeting the livestock sector as one of the superior programs, along with the plantation and food crop subsectors in the 3S concept: Sahang (pepper), cattle and rice fields. One of the strategies being promoted is integration between cattle farming and oil palm plantations, where palm oil waste is used as animal feed and livestock manure is used as organic fertilizer. "This step aims to create efficiency and sustainability in agricultural and livestock businesses," he added.
However, implementing appropriate technology such as chopping machines is not without challenges. The team of lecturers and students involved continues to evaluate and develop machines based on input from farmer group partners. The information and data obtained from the use of this machine will also be used for simple patent applications and product downstream plans, which will support further development of this technology in the field.
He also said that with this palm frond chopping machine, farmer groups can optimize the use of the resources around them. In addition, farmers also have more flexibility in setting feeding schedules, which allows them to monitor livestock development more effectively. "This is important to ensure that livestock growth and weight targets can be achieved according to planning," he explained.
Erwanto hopes that with the support of this technology, the livestock sector in Bangka Belitung can develop more rapidly. The government and academics together encourage local farmers to innovate and utilize technology to increase their productivity and welfare. Through this service program, Polman Babel shows their commitment to supporting sustainable development in Bangka Belitung.
This activity ended with high hopes that collaboration between educational institutions, government and society can continue to be strengthened. "With the right approach and appropriate technology, the challenges faced in the livestock sector can be overcome, thereby encouraging more inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Bangka Belitung," concluded Erwanto.
