After successfully implementing the Community Service Program (PKM) for the development of beef crackers and the development of water spinach cultivation, Warmadewa University (Unwar) is again implementing a similar program. This time, PKM Unwar targets Krama Istri in Bongan Puseh Village, Tabanan District, Sunday (6/6/2021). The agenda that carries the theme "PKM Increasing Added Value of Ginger in the Krama Istri Group in Bongan Traditional Village, Tabanan District" which is supervised by the service team of Chairperson Dr. Ir. I Gusti Bagus Udayana, M.Si, Ir. AA Made Semariyani, M.Si, and Ir. AA Ngurah Mayun Wirajaya, MM, as members, and assisted by three students majoring in Agro Technology.
In current developments, the government has facilitated the existence of Traditional Villages in the midst of Official Villages by issuing the Traditional Village Regulation. Bongan Puseh Traditional Village is an organization that has existed since long ago alongside Bongan Village and has designed its activities by forming a Krama Istri which is chaired by the Wife of the Traditional Village Head. Bagus Udayana said that the PKM program implemented in the Krama Istri group of Bongan Puseh Traditional Village based on the results of observations in the field can obtain information related to the problems faced by partners, namely ginger plants that have not been cultivated properly and correctly, only as a side job for the family and the results of the ginger plants have not been utilized and processed into processed products that have added value such as crystal ginger and ginger milk.
In addition, said Bagus Udayana, several other obstacles faced include not having the equipment and materials to carry out processing, not having a house to carry out the business process, and members of the krama istri group not understanding good plant cultivation and processing. Therefore, partner groups need to be facilitated in terms of ginger cultivation technology and processing ginger products into crystal ginger and ginger milk. "The purpose of this PKM is implemented for partners to improve the knowledge and skills of partners in increasing ginger yields through good and correct cultivation and processing of ginger products and studying the processing of the results," he explained. The output target, continued Bagus Udayana, that is to be achieved from this PKM program is so that partner groups are able to apply ginger cultivation technology properly and correctly and have a variety of processed ginger products, and are able to market them so that they are profitable for partner farmer groups so that they can increase the income of partner groups. Meanwhile, the Head of Bongan Puseh Traditional Village, I Gusti Putu Sukarata, welcomed the community service from Warmadewa University.
