The Student Creativity Program in Entrepreneurship (PKM-K) team from the UGM Faculty of Agriculture won two bronze medals at the 37th National Student Scientific Week (Pimnas).
The team, led by Gerson Lewis (Aquaculture 2023), presented their project, “EcoPrime Feed: An Innovation Utilizing Invasive Species as High-Quality, Economical, and Environmentally Friendly Fish Feed. “They earned bronze medals in both the poster and presentation categories.
Their product, EcoPrime Feed, is a sustainable, cost-effective, high-quality fish feed made from three primary ingredients: water hyacinth, red devil fish, and black soldier fly (BSF) maggots.
Lewis explained that EcoPrime Feed addresses issues in Indonesia’s fishery ecosystems, where invasive species threaten ecological balance if their populations become excessive.
“Additionally, EcoPrime Feed aims to address the rise in food waste that leads to scarcity of food resources,” said Lewis at the UGM Faculty of Agriculture on Friday (Oct. 25).
Besides Gerson Lewis, the team includes Aimmatul Husna, Sevina Surya Wibianti (Aquaculture 2023), Muhammad Jibril Syahid (Aquatic Resource Management 2023), and Jihan Tsabitha (Regional Economic Development 2022).
Lewis added that he and his team were grateful for the opportunity to participate in the 37th Pimnas competition.
Alongside gaining valuable experience, Pimnas expanded their knowledge and allowed them to meet students from universities across Indonesia, especially in entrepreneurship, which is not extensively covered in their regular coursework.
“We feel very proud and thankful to God, as our hard work has produced outstanding results and brought pride to the Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture. Hopefully, this will boost our motivation to continue innovating,” he stated.
Dr. Senny Helmiati from the UGM Department of Fisheries, who served as the team’s advisor, expressed her gratitude for the experience. This was her first time guiding a PKM team to Pimnas, culminating in winning two bronze medals.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to guide these exceptional young people in achieving their goals. While this may not be the best outcome, I believe it’s a promising start to inspire other students,” said Dr. Helmiati.
Report by: Hanita Athasari Zain and Desi Utami
Author: Agung Nugroho
Photo: EcoPrime Feed Team