MEDAN – USU PUBLIC RELATIONS: Muhammad Haikal Ananta, a 2024 student of the Indonesian Literature Study Program at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), had the opportunity to meet the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia during a public lecture held at the USU Auditorium on Wednesday (July 15, 2026). The meeting became the starting point for him to receive educational assistance and business capital.

Born into a family with limited financial means, Haikal was raised by a father who works as a daily wage laborer and a mother who is a homemaker. Financial hardship once made him hesitate to pursue higher education.

However, thanks to the support of his extended family—particularly his aunt, who was willing to help cover his tuition fees—Haikal was finally able to fulfill his dream of attending university. Despite receiving assistance from his family, he was determined to ease their financial burden by selling mochi on campus to earn additional income while studying.

Haikal shared that he began selling mochi during his second semester in 2025. He chose mochi because it is easy to make and its main ingredients are relatively accessible. Starting with just ten pieces of mochi produced together with a friend and offered to classmates, his business gradually expanded until he was able to sell dozens, and eventually hundreds, of mochi every day.

Each day, Haikal travels from his boarding house around the USU campus, visiting the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Public Health, the Faculty of Agriculture, the USU Library, and many other faculties. For him, selling mochi is not merely a way to earn money but also a means of financing his education.

Haikal admitted that building the business was far from easy. Together with his friend, he went through numerous rounds of trial and error to develop flavors that matched customer preferences. Before launching the product more widely, they first asked around ten classmates to sample the mochi and provide feedback on its taste and quality.

"At first, I asked ten classmates from my study program to try it. They liked it and wanted to buy it again. That's when I decided to produce more and increase the number of pieces," he said.

Haikal's perseverance in pursuing his education attracted the attention of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Ir. H. Andi Amran Sulaiman, M.P., during the public lecture at Universitas Sumatera Utara. On that occasion, Haikal had the opportunity to share his personal journey.

Initially, he spoke about the shortage of glutinous rice flour, the main ingredient used to make mochi. The scarcity had caused prices to rise significantly, increasing production costs and forcing him to carefully adjust his selling prices.

"Glutinous rice flour for making mochi is really hard to find. It's very scarce, and when it's available, it's expensive. So I wanted to know how situations like this could be prevented from happening again, because it makes things very difficult for small business owners. Production costs go up, but selling prices can't always increase accordingly. That's why I shared my concerns, because I'm studying while also running a small business," he explained.

The conversation then turned to his struggle to continue his education despite financial difficulties. After learning about Haikal's circumstances, the Minister of Agriculture offered him educational assistance covering his studies until graduation, along with a scholarship and business capital to support the growth of his enterprise.

The business funding has further motivated Haikal to expand his venture. He plans to open his own outlet and start a chicken katsu business as part of his entrepreneurial development.

"I hope to grow this business further. Specifically, I want to have my own outlet," he said.

For Haikal, the assistance he received represents more than financial support for his education and business. It is also a responsibility to keep striving and to help others in the future. He said the Minister's message—to continue selling, continue working hard, and one day help those who are in the same position he once faced—has become his greatest source of motivation.