The UMI Faculty of Agriculture PKM Team provides assistance in modifying hydroponic vegetables into vegetable noodle products

Lecturers at the Faculty of Agriculture, Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) Makassar, through the Indonesian Muslim University Community Service Institute (LPkM), carried out Community Partnership Program (PKM) activities for the "Marannu" Women's Group on Saturday, November 30 2024.   The chairman of this activity was Mrs. Dr. Suherah, SP., MP and its member Dr. Ir. Nurliani, MS. and involving 2 Agribusiness students.

This activity is a form of implementation of the Higher Education Tri Dharma program by providing counseling and assistance on "Modification of Hydroponic Vegetables into Vegetable Noodle Products in Bonto Marannu Village, Moncongloe District, Maros Regency.

Dr. Nurliani said that the vegetable cultivation technique which uses a hydroponic system, apart from not requiring a large area of ​​land, plants also grow quickly so they can be harvested in a short time. Hydroponic vegetables have quite promising market opportunities, especially for the consumer market segment that prioritizes quality, nutritional content and hygiene. With this Community Partnership Program (PKM) activity, modification of processed vegetable noodles can become a business opportunity, because the raw materials are available at any time regardless of the season so that the business of processing vegetables into healthy vegetable noodles can easily be done by mothers themselves in serving a variety of healthy, nutritious and cheap food menus.

On the same occasion Dr. Suherah, who is the Chief Executive of the PKM Program, revealed that fruit and vegetables are essential elements in the food menu to meet the nutritional needs of each family member. Consuming enough vegetables must be applied to children from an early age. One simple and easy way to stimulate children to want to eat vegetables is by varying (modifying) vegetables. It is hoped that modification of processed vegetables can be an alternative to overcome the problem of difficulty eating vegetables in children.

Implementing this PKM activity is one solution to provide knowledge and skills about techniques for processing vegetables into healthy vegetable noodles. This activity aims to increase knowledge, skills, awareness, and motivate the community, especially groups of housewives, in processing vegetables into healthy vegetable noodle products, increasing the economic value and durability of vegetables, so as to create business opportunities.

"This Community Partnership Program (PKM)  activity also involved 2 students of the UMI Faculty of Agriculture's Agribusiness study program," he concluded.