Along with community empowerment activities, to commemorate the 64th Anniversary of National Electricity Day, Faculty of Agriculture UGM spread catfish seeds in Wonosari Village, Ngrombol Sub-District, Purworejo Regency, on Monday (26/10). This was done by the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Ir. Triwibowo Yuwono, Ph.D., General Manager of P3B Java-Bali, Nur Pamudji, MBMUM P3B Java-Bali, Affandi, VP of PT PLN, Dewi Setiani, Secretary of the Ngrombol Sub-District, Windarto, and Ari Rahmat Kuswanto from Rumah Zakat Indonesia (RZI).
Besides spreading approximately 7000 catfish seeds, ceremony was also done to launch the biogas technology for households, as well as mango and papaya trees planting. These were supported by the State-Owned Electricity Company (PLN) through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.
Dewi Setiani welcomed the program. She said that PLN P3B Java-Bali has shown high awareness and various efforts have been made successfully. "The evident result is the "cake house" program for women in Cimahi and Pulogadung. This program was eventually widened to Bekasi, Depok, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Gresik and Malang. In addition, the Sido Maju Cattle Group was also developed in Bergas Kidul village, Semarang regency, "she explained.
Meanwhile, responding to the event, Dr. Ir. Taryono, a lecturer of Faculty of Agriculture UGM, said that the cultivation of catfish had undergone Effective Microorganism (EM) development for agriculture and fishery. This product is a combination of the positive factors produced by Thailand’s State Electricity COmpany and UGM in the form of solid powder, which is then distributed to farmers.
For the initial stage, the handling of catfish will be assisted by KKN UGM students in Wonosari who will give technical assistance to the farmers.
Biofish is a microorganism breeding that degrades the remaining organic material and non-pathogenic bacteria, which is expected to compete with the pathogenic bacteria in the pond. The bacteria that are not hazardous can break organic contents in the pond. Contents in Biofish are Nitrosomonas sp., Nitrobacter sp., Lactococcus sp., and Lactobacillus sp. Meanwhile, the antagonist bacteria include Aeromonas sp., Bacillus coagulants, B. firmus, and B. Laterosporus.
Catfish has been chosen because freshwater fish is easy to cultivate and it is able to live in poor environment, and even without replacement of water so that it can be developed in the courtyard, the mountains and rainwater catchments with very simple technology.