Faculty of Agriculture UGM in collaboration with state electricity enterprise PT. PLN (Persero) have developed agricultural productive conservation in Banjarnegara, Central Java to minimise sedimentation of the Mrica dam as well as to improve the economy of the local people. The villages to work on are Babadan and Plumbungan.
“For the Babadan area, we develop the coffee commodity while the Plumbungan snake fruit,” said Dr. Ir. Taryono, M.Sc, from the Faculty on Wednesday (21/5).
Field visit has been done along with the harvesting of the two commodities on Saturday. Vice Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Rudi Hari Murti, M.P., attended the event.
Taryono said the area is hazardous as it has stiff slopes without erosion barriers in addition to the risk posed by the potato plantation.
“Potatoes can pose dangers, so erosion barriers like coffee and snak fruit are required to be grown there,” he said.
Turno, a farmer, said the local people have converted from planting vegetables to coffee due to its economic value. They can still grow other plants such as albasia and kaliandra.
Snake fruit is another way in reducing sedimentation in Plumbungan. Initially, UGM and PLN provided seeds and training for the local farmers. Currently, a plot measuring 30 hectares have been grown with the snake fruit.
Head of Plumbungan village, Jukri Sadiharjo, said since the start in 2010, the local people had enjoyed the benefit of the snake fruit and they were able to harvest it twice a week.
The Vice Dean hoped that coffee and snake fruit plantation in Banjarnegara could be improved.