Since 2015, the School of Life Sciences and Technology (SITH) ITB’s community service implementation team has been assisting Farmer Groups and Women Farmers in Sukawangi and Pamulihan Villages, Pamulihan District, Sumedang Regency, in unlocking the economic potential of cassava as a wheat composite through training in making MOCAF.

The need for wheat imports to sustain Indonesia's food security has decreased as a result of MOCAF production. Dependence on food imports is unquestionably dangerous, given that each nation would undoubtedly prioritize its own domestic needs during the pandemic. The potential of MOCAF is so great because cassava has been named as a national strategic food reserve by the government in addition to other local non-rice foods such as corn, banana, sago, taro and potato.

*Commercial products of various types of processed MOCAF, cassava sugar, and high-quality coffee beans in ITB assisted villages.

Indonesia only has national food reserves for 69 days, according to data from the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture in April 2020. As a result, making MOCAF might be a viable option. Making MOCAF, which can be achieved on an industrial or household scale, can help rural areas adopt technology while also improving the regional economy. However, quality standardization is needed to maintain the quality of local MOCAF products so that they can be accepted and sold not only in the local region, but also in other parts of Indonesia.

*Cassava sugar manufacturing workshop and installation of coffee processing equipment (pulper and huller).

To achieve this, the ITB implementation team, consisting of Dr. Ima Mulyama Zainuddin (Genetics and Molecular Biotechnology Research Group), Dr. Mia Rosmiati (Management of Bioresources Research Group), and Dr. Rijanti Rahaju Maulani (Agrotechnology and Bioproduct Technology Research Group), played a role in the mentoring process. For this year's program, the ITB team is collaborating with PT. Mutuagung Lestari to develop SNI-compliant standard operating procedures for MOCAF development, as well as holding training on the application of the Quality Management System (ISO 9001) and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP).

In addition, cooperation with PT. The National Agro Industry (Agrinas) is also being initiated to become the MOCAF off-taker produced by SITH ITB's partner farmer groups, namely Karya Mandiri Prima (Sukawangi Village) and Bangun Mandiri Mukti (Pamulihan Village) who are involved in the quality standardization training program. LPPM ITB, DIKTI, and the Swiss Embassy in Indonesia all contribute financially to the program's implementation.

In the making of MOCAF, SITH ITB conducted community service activities in Sukawangi and Pamulihan Village, Pamulihan District, Sumedang Regency, which were published in Media Indonesia on Tuesday, April 27, 2021 in the ITB Engineering Rubric. [Download here]

Various advantages may be achieved with the participation of industry and funding groups. For starters, the ITB implementation team, as well as the Farmer Group and Women Farmers, have more learning and growth opportunities. Then, as a result of village empowerment, income and absorption of high-quality goods rise. Finally, due to widespread community participation in the development of SNI-quality MOCAF, national food security has improved during this pandemic.

Read also: LPPM ITB Community Service Information

*PT. National Agro Industry and LPPM ITB begin a cooperative effort to absorb MOCAF provided by ITB-assisted villages in Sumedang.

Writer: Christopher Wijaya (Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, 2016)
Source: SITH ITB Community Service Team
Translator: Sekar Dianwidi Bisowarno (Bioengineering, 2019)