Impactful Community Service Program: Exploring Village Potential, ULM Students Promote Purple Sweet Potato Cultivation in Sacks and Coffee in Puncak Harapan Village
Banjarbaru – Students from the Community Service Program (KKN) – Independent Learning Independent Campus (MBKM) of the Faculty of Agriculture, Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM), placed in Puncak Harapan Village, Lokpaikat District, Tapin, carried out their main work program of cultivating purple sweet potatoes in sacks and developing Lokpaikat’s signature coffee. This group of students, from the Agroecotechnology study program, completed 42 days of activities in the village.
Puji Astuti Nengseh, a member of group 4, said the idea for cultivating purple sweet potatoes in sacks emerged after observing Mrs. Jasmiyati’s Chips MSME business, which still relies on supplies of sweet potatoes from Java. Puncak Harapan Village, however, has significant potential for developing local sweet potatoes.
“We tried planting sweet potatoes in sacks to minimize the need for a large area and reduce the potential for pests, especially monkeys. We also combined this experiment with the use of maggot manure as fertilizer to see how it affected the harvest,” explained Puji.
Besides sweet potatoes, Puncak Harapan Village also has untapped coffee potential. The distinctive Lokpaikat coffee is characterized by its sour taste and relatively large beans. Together with the village government, the KKN students also built a coffee nursery, the seeds of which will be distributed throughout the community so that everyone can plant and develop their own local specialty.
Puji revealed that the experience of participating in KKN in this village left a lasting impression. With the full support of the community and the village government, Puji and her friends felt greatly helped and welcomed during the KKN-MBKM program.
“The feelings are mixed, extraordinary. Happy because the village was so welcoming to the KKN students, but also sad to leave because they felt like family. We were able to share knowledge and learn a lot from the community,” she said.
Full support was felt, starting with the community’s willingness to provide land for planting, while the village government provided financial support.
Through this program, the students hope that Puncak Harapan Village can develop its superior products, both sweet potatoes and coffee, thereby supporting the community’s economy and strengthening the village’s identity as a center for local agriculture and plantations.
