The activity focused on the Ginger Processing Industry at KPT Penatapan, Liang Muda Village, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra. The team was led by Prof. Dr. Ir. Elisa Julianti, M.Sc., from the Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, together with her team consisting of Prof. Dr. Halimatuddahliana, S.T., M.Sc, from the Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and R.B. Moh. Ibrahim Fatoni, S.Pi., M.P., from the Agribusiness Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture. This community service activity also involved 5 Universitas Sumatera Utara students. The service funded by the Directorate of Research, Technology and Community Service (DRTPM) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia through the 2022 Community Partnership Program (PkM) scheme took the theme "PkM Assistance in the Development of the Ginger Processing Industry at KPT Penatapan, Liang Muda Village, Deli Serdang Regency". 

 

The partner in this community service activity is Lapak Buah.com (https://lapakbuah.com/), which markets various fruit products, especially local fruits throughout Indonesia. Lapakbuah.com partners with farmers in providing guidance and helping to obtain capital for their farming businesses. Lapakbuah.com approached farmers in STM Hulu District to switch their agricultural crops from oil palm to fruit, through the Integrated Agricultural Area Program (KPT), which covers 8 villages in STM Hulu District, namely Liang Pematang Village, Liang Muda Village, Tanjung Raja Village, Tanjung Muda Village, Bah Buntu Village, Durian Tinggung Village, and Rumah Lih Village. Among the fruit plants, intercropping is cultivated in the form of ginger, shallots, and chilies. Ginger plants are centered in Liang Muda Village, because in this village there have previously been many farmers who have cultivated ginger plants. Therefore, this community service activity focuses on assisting the ginger processing industry in Liang Muda Village.

 

The activity began with socialization and discussion regarding the activities that had been planned and agreed upon previously with partners. The activities took place at the USU Faculty of Agriculture and were attended by the Director of Lapakbuah, Ine Deviyanti, and Ridwan Purba. Furthermore, students from the USU Faculty of Agriculture carried out an inventory of the availability of raw materials (production capacity) for processed ginger and the need for facilities and facilities for processing processed ginger products in Liang Muda Village. Based on the results of the discussion and inventory activities, dry ginger processing equipment in the form of a ginger slicing machine and a drying oven was designed and manufactured. These two tools were donated to partners through a tool handover activity in Liang Muda Village, STM Hulu District.

 

During the activity, a presentation was also given regarding the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for using slicing tools and drying ovens. Then, it continued with a presentation of material regarding the post-harvest handling of ginger to produce quality ginger tubers, quality control of the processing process, and processed ginger products. Continued discussion regarding the prospects for developing ginger processing businesses on a household scale and the product packaging process. In her presentation, Prof. Elisa Julianti explained the importance of developing an agricultural business through processing to increase the product's added value.

 

During the meeting, training was also conducted on processing various processed ginger products, namely simplistic (dried ginger), ginger powder, ginger syrup, ginger enting-enting, and ginger candy. Lapak Buah.com, a farmer partner at KPT Penatapan, Liang Muda Village, is ready to accommodate fresh and processed ginger produced by farmer groups. R.B. Moh. Ibrahim Fatoni, a member of the community service team, said that marketing agricultural products is more effective if done through e-commerce, online shops, or marketplaces.

 

In his presentation, Ridwan Purba, representing Lapakbuah.com, expressed his gratitude to the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara, for the grant of a ginger drying and slicing machine. The grant of the tool is very useful for increasing the production results of the community in Liang Muda Village, and its economic value is also increasing. Mahdi Barus as the head of the Liang Muda Village farmer group, also thanked the team of lecturers and students of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara. And the hope is that in the future, Liang Muda Village can create its own ginger products with the aim of increasing innovation and creativity in processing fresh ginger, so that in the future the final results of ginger products remain of high quality\ and can compete not only in the local market but also for export marketing. (RJ)