UNS — Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta students make an effort to improve the community economy at the Nglinggi Village, South Klaten, Klaten, through the distribution and counseling on fishery and hydroponic cultivation method. This program was implemented by the students in the Student Community Service Program (KKN) UNS group 203 July-August Batch because Nglinggi Village has a promising fish cultivation potential.
In an interview with one of the KKN 203 team members, Ridho Anugerah Pangestu stated that Nglinggi Village’s fishery income dropped significantly when the Covid-19 pandemic affect the village. This background prompted the group to provide training and counseling on appropriate fishery management to increase fish yields. “We also taught the marketing method to ease sellers during the sales,” he explained on Monday (16/8/2021).
Ridho and his team also selected the hydroponic cultivation method because the local’s fish ponds have the potential to open a new business. The pond’s water could be used for hydroponic plants circulation. Plants will absorb the nutrient from fish’s excrement in the water to grow. Therefore, besides cultivating fish, the local people could also have hydroponic farming. “This practice is not difficult because hydroponic farming is easy to apply and only needs simple tools. The harvesting cycle of hydroponic plants is short so that local people could harvesting in a month and could sell their harvests in the market,” Ridho added.
Before implementing the program, his team also provided counseling and gave examples on implementing the hydroponic cultivation method using the pond’s water for the managers of fish ponds. The prospect of hydroponic plants due to high demands, the majority of local people who work as farmers, and the absence of agricultural innovation that could improve local’s welfare become the reason for implementing the hydroponic method in the community. The prospect of the cultivation system is rooted in the community’s healthy lifestyle that prefers organic vegetables, opening great opportunities for hydroponic cultivation yields in the market. “The demand in the market is high while hydroponic farmers are limited, especially in rural areas,” the Special Education Program student explained.
Besides the cultivation method, the team also provided counseling on post-cultivation management through the socialization process on bookkeeping for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME). During the program launching, the team also invited students to educate them on hydroponic cultivation methods and their interest in agriculture. Ridho stated that this program is not limited to specific age groups. Everyone who wants to learn and try the hydroponic method could participate in the program. The hydroponic method is also easy to implement for everybody, even in narrow land.
Ridho hopes that this program could improve the local economy and motivate people to utilize their fish ponds to generate more income. Local people could cultivate plants and fish simultaneously because the hydroponic method only takes one month, and fish cultivation takes two months. So, while waiting for fish harvest, local people could harvest their hydroponic yields.
“Managing hydroponic is not hard. Thus, almost everyone could apply it in their fish ponds. Considering the current community lifestyle that prefers organic plants, the hydroponic cultivation method has a good prospect. Thus, we hope Nglinggi Village’s economic condition will be better after this program,” Ridho concluded. Humas UNS
Reporter: Bayu Aji Prasetya
Editor: Dwi Hastuti