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| UMM Lecturers Team Develops Sumbergedang Village as an Agro-Tourism Destination and Manages Local Natural Resources with Local Community (Special Photo) |
Muhammadiyah Malang University (UMM) remains committed to contributing to society. Now, through the Basis Information Research and Community Service Program (BIMA), the UMM team is collaborating with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) for Village Development Programs (PDB). Led by Prof. Dr. Sujono, M.Kes., this program continues the agro-tourism assistance in Sumbergedang Village, Pandaan District, Pasuruan Regency, entering its second year.
Sujono explained that in this second year, the training and assistance program focuses on two main activities. The first is the landscaping of a seven-hectare area to be used as an agro-tourism site featuring vegetable crops and a flower garden. The second is the preparation for opening the agro-tourism, focusing on developing local culinary specialties.
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“With this landscaping, we hope that Sumbergedang Village’s agro-tourism can become a tourist attraction that not only offers natural beauty but also education about agriculture and biodiversity,” he said.
This program aims to maximize the natural potential of the village to develop it into a self-sufficient and prosperous agro-tourism destination. Sumbergedang Village is known for its extraordinary natural beauty, situated between Mount Arjuno to the west and Mount Penanggungan to the east, offering stunning views. Additionally, the village has a year-round flowing water source, making it an ideal location for agro-tourism development.
In this process, Sujono is accompanied by Dr. Ratih Juliati, M.M., Jamroji, M.Kom., and Muhammad Nurul, M.M., M.P., who together provide comprehensive training and assistance to the local community. For instance, preparing various traditional beverage products like sinom and beras kencur, as well as developing banana-based products aligned with the village’s name, Sumber Gedang, which means “source of bananas.”
“Aligned with the village name, Sumbergedang, which refers to bananas, the local natural resources here are predominantly bananas of various types. Training and assistance are provided to local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to improve production quality. This includes selecting quality raw materials, hygienic production processes, attractive packaging, as well as halal certification and digital marketing,” he added.
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Interestingly, to support production improvements, local SMEs also receive assistance in the form of equipment such as multi-purpose slicers, automatic plastic packaging machines, and drink packaging tools. The multi-purpose slicer can produce chips in three shapes: slices, sticks, and cubes, with a production capacity of 30–40 kg/hour.
With this program, Sujono and the team hope that the production capacity of banana chips and local beverages can increase in both quantity and quality. In addition to banana chips, SMEs in Sumbergedang Village are expected to produce various types of chips, including cassava, sweet potato, potato, and carrot chips, in different forms.(*/Faq/Wil/Fajr)
