The Covid-19 pandemic breathes amid the human lives. The infection of this new type of coronavirus has spread not only to a few people in particular areas but also to populations all over the world.
The UGM Faculty of Agriculture, through the Community Service activities program, gives facilitation to communities in cities, villages, and disadvantaged communities, including people with disabilities, scavengers, and hawkers who are affected by Covid-19. They provide facilitation in various activity packages, both containing science and technology, physical assistance, and technology support.
They deliver the aid package in conjunction with the opening ceremony of the 74th Anniversary of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM on Tuesday (9/6). Groups represent the delivery of assistance with special needs. Most community service activities partner with religious organizations such as the MPM target group PP Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta and Nahdatul Ulama Bantul.
Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Dr. Jamhari S.P., M.P., on this occasion, represented the need for synergy and concern from universities in improving food security during the Covid-19 Pendemi period through community empowerment activities. In this event, the UGM Faculty of Agriculture has carried out various kinds of devotion in multiple areas, both local and urban, as a form of concern for the people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic while increasing income for the community.
Some program activities within the event are the provision of hydroponic technology packages, catfish and vegetable aquaponic technology packages, non-waste yard technology utilization packages, and fish market logistics facilitation for partner cooperatives budikdamber package assistance (fish cultivation in buckets), and vegetable seed package assistance. In addition to those activities, there is also conducting a full workshop by utilizing the faculty digital service facility called DesaApps.
The beneficiaries of the UGM Faculty of Agriculture service activities are farmer/cultivator groups, the general public of rural and urban areas, farmer cooperative partners, and other community groups. In addition to assisting, assistance activities are essential to ensure the success of the program.
Jamhari hopes that through these dedication activities, it is able to support and maintain the welfare of rural and urban communities, including those with special needs.
"There is great hope that the community's enthusiasm to encourage urban farming can be maintained in the future even though the pandemic status has ended," he said.
Jamhari said that sustainable food needs and limited urban land become a background that can support the creativity and ability of citizens to be independent in food delivery through urban farming activities. Besides, hopefully, the appropriate technology can be a model or reference to be applied in various regions. Therefore, it can meet the nutritional needs of the community, especially animal protein, and vitamins.
Author: Ika
Translator: Natasa A