(FEB NEWS) Magetan, 07 October 2024 – In an effort to improve the welfare of rural communities through more effective management of village funds, the Department of Economics, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) held a community service activity with the theme "Improving Institutional Management of Village Funds in Encouraging Increased Goat Farmer Productivity in Sumbersawit Village, Sidorejo District, Magetan Regency, East Java Province." This activity, which took place on Monday, October 7 2024, focused on increasing the productivity of goat breeders in Sumbersawit Village as an effort to empower the local economy.
Prior to holding this community service activity, a team of representatives from the Department of Economics, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) had first carried out an initial survey stage by meeting the village head and the BUMDes manager of Sumbersawit Village. The discussion was about the initiation of the formation of a division related to livestock, especially goats, which are one of the economic commodities of local residents, and discussions related to the potential for other innovations such as the sports and tourism sectors. It is hoped that in the future a new division will be realized in BUMDes which facilitates the livestock sector with the assistance of other parties such as: the Orphan Foundation Independent, sponsor, or government.
Extension: Answering the Problems of Goat Farmers in Sumbersawit Village
The community service carried out with 15 goat breeders in Sumbersawit village began with the provision of material regarding 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 breeders to support the economy and raise the standard of living of the community. In Prof.'s presentation. Rossanto explained that the goat farming sector has the potential to support and increase people's income. With assistance from BUMDes and independent orphan foundations, Sumbersawit Village is believed to be able to compete in livestock commodities in the animal market, namely goats.
Then, in collaboration with the UNAIR Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, one of the animal husbandry experts, Drh. Faisal Fikri, M.Vet, who provided material regarding technical farming and goat health. In his material, Drh. Fikri explained various important aspects related to goat rearing, starting from the types of meat produced, how to choose quality sires, to how to care for goats professionally.
The counseling moderated by Angga Erlando, M.Ec.Dev, lecturer at the UNAIR Department of Economics, went smoothly and received an enthusiastic welcome from the goat breeders in Sumbersawit Village. The material presented by Drh. Faisal Fikri is very relevant to the problems currently faced by breeders in the village. One of the main issues raised was how to choose good goat sires so that livestock productivity can increase. Apart from that, 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 breeders revealed their obstacles in increasing livestock productivity. Drh. Faisal Fikri answered these various questions by providing practical solutions that can be implemented by breeders so that they can maximize breeder productivity. Suyono, one of the breeders, said that he felt very helped by the material that Drh. Fikri, and will immediately try to implement the suggestions that have been given so that he can increase his business productivity.
Further Study of the Establishment of BUMDes and Survey of Village Economic Potential
Apart from counseling, a team from the Department of Economics UNAIR consisting of M. Syaikh Rohman, M.Ec., Wahyu Wisnu W., M.Sc., and Magdalena Triasih, Ph.D also carried out follow-up survey activities 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 which could help manage various village economic potentials. Not only that, the UNAIR team also conducted a survey of the economic potential of village communities. This survey aims to map the sources of income owned by the people of Sumbersawit Village so that the village's economic potential can be further explored and developed. With the potential of existing 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 the community.
Hope from this Community Service
This community service activity is expected to have a significant impact on the productivity of goat breeders in Sumbersawit Village. Through increasing knowledge about more professional goat farming, farmers now have a better understanding of how to care for goats effectively, even though they use simple methods. Apart from that, with the economic potential survey carried out, 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 village communities also shows that increasing productivity and welfare of village communities is not impossible if supported by good 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.
