Ropinov Saputro, S.E., M.M. as one of the members of Diponegoro University P3M team, held training on making village superior products in Tumbrep Village, Bandar District, Batang Regency. This village is the location where the PSDKU Undip Batang campus is located. This activity is a kind of community service called the Community Development and Empowerment Program (P3M) which is funded by LPPM Undip.
The theme of this activity was making superior village products and then marketing them digitally, so this activity had taken place a few weeks before the training event was held. The D3 Tax Administration students team of Undip Batang, consisting of Mada Osamanti, Alfi Syahrin, Tsabita Via, Adiyat Thariq, Rara Shofina, Salsabila Aurelia, Nurhikmah, Nazwa Eprilia and Jauzia Gama Calula, previously conducted observations and developed liquid palm sugar products and its marketing potential under the guidance of Ropinov Saputro. Liquid palm sugar was chosen as the superior product, apart from based on the results of the FGD with the village head and community leaders, also because of the abundance of raw materials, namely palm trees in Tumbrep Village.
Training on making superior products was held on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at the Tumbrep Village Hall, Bandar District, Batang Regency. Besides the Head of Tumbrep Village, there were 25 training participants consisting of representatives of the PKK, BUMDES and the Karang Taruna of Tumbrep Village. The training continued with an introduction to the basics of digital marketing.
PSDKU Undip Batang lecturer, Dr. Drs. Retno Dwi Irianto, M.M. representing the Chairman of PSDKU Undip, Dr. Redyanto Noor, M.Hum, invited the community to be enthusiastic about learning with Diponegoro University academics, in order to increase their own capacity so that it is hoped that they can improve the local economy.
Product downstreaming is carried out on an initiative by a team of students who often take part in the activities of their supervisor. The team visited several Coffee Shops in Pekalongan City to get testimonials, and unexpectedly the GUAREN Palm Sugar product received a positive response from the baristas in Pekalongan. They even said they wanted to immediately order GUAREN products to be made into new variants at their Coffee Shop.
“The goal of Tri Dharma of higher education including community service is community acceptance of the results of academic innovations/products, in terms of downstreaming the results of Tri Dharma activities. Alhamdulillah, GUAREN products created by Undip and Tumbrep Village community have received appreciation from Coffee Shop partners,” said Ropinov. The series of several P3M activities is planned to be closed in an exhibition event in front of stakeholders including the Batang Regent and Undip Rector and staff, on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
