Faculty of Agriculture-Animal Science

Students of Agriculture-Animal Science Faculty who are members of Student Community Service traine in making processed dragon fruit products at the homes of residents of Bulurejo Village, Banyuwangi

    Four students of Agriculture-Animal Science Faculty who are members of group 45 for the Student Community Service program of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang held training about the diversification of dragon fruit-based products. This activity was intended for the wives of farmers and Empowerment and Family Welfare in Tambakrejo, Bulurejo Village, Banyuwangi. The reason dragon fruit used as an ingredient for processed diversification due to this village is a dragon fruit plantation center. Not surprisingly, Bulurejo village is known as "Kampung Naga" (in English: Dragon Village). However, often during the harvest season, a lot of dragon fruit is wasted because it does not pass the sorting.

Three processed dragon fruit-based products, the result of training by students of Agriculture-Animal Science Faculty who are members of Student Community Service UMM

     With this background, the Student Community Service group was supervised by Mr. Sholahuddin Al-Fatih, S.H., M.H. invites the people of Bulurejo Village to process dragon fruit. Product processing demonstrated by students of Agriculture-Animal Science Faculty included jams and health drinks, as well as utilizing dragon fruit peels into herbal teas. Dragon fruit juice is fermented with lemon for 14 days to get a health drink. Not only that, but the pulp can also be processed into jam with the addition of lemon as well. Meanwhile, dragon fruit peel, which usually becomes waste, is transformed into tea. The three processed products have a functional effect, which contain antioxidants. The benefits of antioxidants as an scavenger to free radicals that can cause various diseases, such as cancer.

     This product processing activity is located at Edi Lusi's house, head of Tambakrejo district who is also the Chairman of PANABA (term of Banyuwangi Dragon Farmers). "With this processing training in Bulurejo Village, it is hoped that the community can further maximize the potential of dragon fruit," he said. Meanwhile, Marscya, a student of Agriculture-Animal Science Faculty hopes that this product diversification can increase the selling value and increase the shelf life of dragon fruit. (RAN/hum)