UNS — PHP2D Agridaya Team of Student Executive Board (BEM) Faculty of Agriculture (FP) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta launched the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) products from Ngunut Village, Jumantono Subdistrict, Karanganyar District on Thursday (28/10/2021) in Ngunut Village Hall. The launching ceremony was attended by MSMEs partners, village apparatus, Vice-Dean for Academic, Research, and Student Affairs FP UNS, the Head of Cooperative, Trades, Manpower, and SMEs Office of Karanganyar District, Tourism, Youth, and Sports Office of Karanganyar District, and representatives from FP UNS students. This MSMEs’ product launching aims to introduce Ngunut Village’s local excellent product as BEM FP UNS Assisted Village.
The PHP2D Program from BEM FP UNS won an IDR 35 million funding from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbud Ristek) 2021 and an addition of IDR 10 million from Ngunut Rural Funds. The secured funds were fully allocated to empower the local MSMEs, especially for the processed products from Family Medicinal Plants (Toga) in Ngunut to improve product added values to be able to compete with other products.
The Team also opened an Agridaya booth in the event to improve local excellent product’s added values, which received positive responses from the partner MSMEs. Sayemilah, as one of MSMEs’ partners, stated that MSMEs’ product launching had enabled her to sell his products to the market. “PHP2D activities increased the attractiveness of instant jamu that it is easier to sell in the market,” Sayemilah stated. The benefits of PHP2D BEM FP UNS were also perceived by Ngunut Village Chief, Sutarno, S.Pd., who mentioned that the event could improve the community economy and empower Ngunut Village people.
Although receiving positive response from the MSME partner and village government, Dr. Ir. Eka Handayanta, S.P., IPU, ASEAN Eng as Vice-Dean for Academic, Research, and Student Affairs FP UNS reminded FP UNS students to add more village partners to support the Student Community Service Program (KKN) for village development offered by Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) UNS team because PHP2D program is the implementation of Village Development MBKM.
During the implementation of the PHP2D program, students in the PHP2D Agridaya Team BEM FP UNS were not just received outside class learning but also ten credits (SKS) recognition for relevant courses such as KKN, Rural Sociology, Animal Husbandry Extension and Communication, Marketing, and Management of Animal Husbandry, Agricultural Sociology, and Marketing Information System and Marketing Management. In the future, Sugihardjo, S.IP., M.M, as Jumantono Subdistrict Head, hoped that Ngunut Village MSMEs products could develop from excellent village products into Karanganyar District excellent products.
“Hopefully, Ngunut Village MSMEs’ products could be accelerated with interesting packaging and become Karanganyar excellent products,” Sugihardjo stated.
In line with Jumantono Subdistrict Head, the Head of Cooperative, Trades, Manpower, and SMEs Office of Karanganyar District, Martadi, S.Sos., M.M also hoped that Ngunut Village local product could reach the international market. The mentioned that Ngunut MSMEs could join the International Council Small Business (ICSB) to ensure product sustainability and enter the global market.
The Tourism, Youth, and Sports Office of Karanganyar District, represented by its Office Secretary, reminded that to compete at the local and global level, the MSMEs product need to have a marketing permit that opens an opportunity for the product to be marketed as local souvenirs for local and international tourists. “Ngunut Village local products (need) to be registered to enter various souvenir centers in Karanganyar and Ngunut Village to establish Tourism Awareness Group to facilitate the establishment of Rural Tourism destination,” Agung Tjahjo stated.
The launching ceremony was concluded with a tumpeng cutting ceremony and ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Head of Tourism, Youth, and Sports Office of Karanganyar District, Drs. Titis Sri Jawoto. Humas UNS
Reporter: Alinda Hardiantoro
Editor: Dwi Hastuti