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UHW Perbanas Faculty Team Provides Training on Salak-Based Product Innovation

Saturday, 19 July 2025 View: 125

Faculty members from Universitas Hayam Wuruk (UHW) Perbanas, in collaboration with lecturers from the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), have launched a Community Empowerment Program in Tukum Hamlet, Wonosalam District, Jombang. The program involved providing training for the “Lestari” Forest Farmers Group (Kelompok Tani Hutan - KTH) on developing a business plan for new products derived from salak (snake fruit) through various processing innovations.

Dr. Dra. Lindiawati, M.M., the program’s lead coordinator, explained that this initiative aims to develop the abundant local potential of salak, which is one of the region’s prominent fruits. “Currently, we are partnering with the Lestari Forest Farmers Group, which consists of 25 members participating in the empowerment program,” said the UHW Perbanas lecturer during an interview on Saturday (July 19).

According to observations, salak from Wonosalam is renowned for its excellent quality—soft texture, sweet taste, and strong aroma. However, during harvest seasons, the price can drop drastically to as low as IDR 2,500 per kilogram. “Given how perishable salak is, we took the initiative to teach local farmers how to produce a variety of processed salak products, such as salak chips, salak-based beverages, and salak peel tea, along with offline and online marketing strategies,” she explained.

Before beginning the product processing training, the KTH members were first introduced to business planning using the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and trained on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for producing various salak derivatives.

“These farmers will receive continued assistance in operating the salak processing equipment. The processed products will include salak chips, drinks, and tea made from salak peels. They will also be guided in designing modern and attractive packaging,” she added.

This initiative is part of the 2025 Community Service Grant Program under the Community-Based Empowerment Scheme, within the scope of the Community Partnership Empowerment Program (PKM) funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek), which focuses on developing local potential.

Lindiawati expressed her hope that the community empowerment program led by her team would help boost the productivity of local farmers and increase their economic value. “The donated processing equipment is expected to support more efficient and hygienic production processes. We are also committed to promoting economic independence and enhancing the competitiveness of local products in the national market,” she emphasized.

The community empowerment program is implemented by the following team: Dr. Dra. Lindiawati, M.M. (Coordinator), Dr. Emma Yulianti, S.E., M.M. (Member), and Dr. Eko Nurmianto, M.Eng., M.A. (Member). (eko/pr)