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Riza Rahman Hakim, the inventor of fish feed made by jarak seed waste |
Nowadays, the seed of castor oil (jarak) is commonly used as the ingredients for fuel. However, it turns out that the waste can be recycled to become the ingredients for fish feed of protein economically. Reza Rahman Hakim S.Pi, M.Sc., the Animal Husbandry Dept. lecturer has proven through his research. Due of his discovery, the Bojonegoroan lecturer successfully holds the Master of Science title in the Department of Aquaculture, Kasetsart University, Thailand.
The idea appeared when seeing the reality of Indonesia that lacking the energy source from fish feed. According to Reza, bungkil/oil cake (from soybean) and fish flour as the protein source currently are getting hard to find and the existence compete with the human needs. Based on this, he continued, the existence of fish feed ingredients of protein source that can replace the function of the expensive bungkil is necessary. “After straining the oil, the waste of those seed is dumped and not useful. It turns out that this waste is able to replace 75 % of soybean flour, of course it’s very efficiency and economic,” said by the achiever of abroad scholarship from Dikti.
Moreover, he explained that in order to be a feed, the oilcake of jarak seed must be detoxified prior in order to remove its contents of toxin and anti-nutrients substances. On this process, he built cooperation with Chemistry Department of Kasetsart University. The result showed that the content of crude protein from the jarak seed oilcake is almost equal with the soybean oilcake. “It turned out that the contents of amino acid in the jarak seed oilcake is also better than soybean oilcake”, added by the lecturer who got the best presenter for young lectures’ research by Kopertis VII.
According to him, jarak seed oilcake is still very rare to be applied in Indonesia. It makes him sure about its big potential to be developed. In the future, he plans to continue in developing his research until it can be used widely in fishery field. “If UMM will expand the unit production of jarak seed biodiesel, of course it becomes the strategic way to continue its expanding so that it can be truly integrated and zero waste,” he said.
Through his study in the White Elephant country, he also explained that its advancement in managing fishery farming sector must be exemplary for Indonesia. All fishermen of small until industrial scales already apply good fish farming procedure or Good Aquaculture Practice. Moreover, the good relationship between university and stakeholder can be seen clearly. “The university has become the stakeholder’s reference in providing quality fish,” he said. (agung/t_iqa)