(FEB NEWS) Magetan, October 7, 2024 – In an effort to improve the welfare of rural communities through more effective village fund management, the Department of Economics, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) held a community service activity themed “Improving Village Fund Institutional Management in Encouraging Increased Goat Farmer Productivity in Sumbersawit Village, Sidorejo District, Magetan Regency, East Java Province.” The activity, which took place on Monday, October 7, 2024, focused on increasing the productivity of goat farmers in Sumbersawit Village as an effort to empower the local economy.
Prior to this community service activity, a team of representatives from the Department of Economics, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) had first conducted an initial survey stage by meeting with the village head and managers of the Sumbersawit Village BUMDes. The discussion concerned the initiation of the formation of a division related to livestock, especially goats, which are one of the local residents' economic commodities, and discussions related to other potential innovations such as the sports and tourism sectors. It is hoped that in the future a new division will be realized in the BUMDes that facilitates the livestock sector with the assistance of other parties such as: Yayasan Yatim Mandiri, sponsors, or the government.
Extension: Answering the Problems of Goat Farmers in Sumbersawit Village
The community service carried out with 15 goat farmers in Sumbersawit village began with the provision of material on BUMDes Institutional Management in the livestock sector presented by Prof. Rossanto Dwi H, along with Dr. Deni Kusumawardani, and Tri Haryanto, Ph.D. BUMDes institutional management as a means of developing the productivity of goat farmers in supporting the economy and can improve the standard of living of the community. In Prof. Rossanto's presentation, he explained that the goat farming sector has the potential to support and increase community income. With the assistance of BUMDes and the independent orphanage foundation, Sumbersawit Village is believed to be able to compete in livestock commodities in the animal market, namely goats.
Then in collaboration with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine UNAIR presented one of the livestock experts, Drh. Faisal Fikri, M.Vet, who provided material on technical aspects of goat farming and health. In his material, Drh. Fikri explained various important aspects related to goat maintenance, starting from the types of meat produced, how to choose quality breeders, to how to care for goats professionally.
The counseling session, moderated by Angga Erlando, M.Ec.Dev, a lecturer at the Department of Economics at UNAIR, went smoothly and received an enthusiastic response from goat farmers in Sumbersawit Village. The material presented by Drh. Faisal Fikri was very relevant to the problems faced by farmers in the village. One of the main issues raised was how to select good goat breeders to increase livestock productivity. In addition, Drh. Faisal Fikri also provided tips on how to maintain goat health and maximize production results, both in terms of meat quality and livestock reproductive ability.
During the question and answer session, many farmers expressed their obstacles in increasing livestock productivity. Drh. Faisal Fikri answered these questions by providing practical solutions that farmers can apply to maximize their productivity. Suyono, one of the farmers, said that he felt very helped by the material presented by Drh. Fikri, and will immediately try to implement the suggestions given to increase the productivity of his business.
Further Study on the Formation of Village-Owned Enterprises and Village Economic Potential Survey
In addition to counseling, a team from the UNAIR Department of Economics consisting of M. Syaikh Rohman, M.Ec., Wahyu Wisnu W., M.Sc., and Magdalena Triasih, Ph.D. also conducted a follow-up survey on the formation of Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes). In the survey, several village officials and community leaders were invited to discuss the prospects for establishing a BUMDes livestock division that could help manage various village economic potentials. Furthermore, the UNAIR team also conducted a survey of the village's economic potential. This survey aimed to map the sources of income owned by the Sumbersawit Village community so that the village's economic potential could be further explored and developed. With the potential of natural resources and livestock, the UNAIR team is optimistic that with the right strategy, the village economy can grow more rapidly and have a positive impact on the welfare of its people.
Expectations from this Community Service
This community service activity is expected to significantly impact the productivity of goat farmers in Sumbersawit Village. By increasing knowledge about more professional goat farming, farmers now have a better understanding of how to care for goats effectively, even with simple methods. Furthermore, through the economic potential survey, it is hoped that Sumbersawit Village can optimize the management of Village Funds to advance potential economic sectors, including goat farming.
This collaboration between academics and the village community also demonstrates that increasing productivity and welfare of village communities is possible if supported by sound management strategies and a willingness to learn and innovate. Thus, this activity is the first step in encouraging Sumbersawit Village to develop more independently and productively in the future.