26 September 2024
Syafrijal S.Kom
Medan - The Community Service Team from LPPM USU carried out community service in Tanjung Pasir Village, Pangkalan Susu District, Langkat Regency related to the cultivation of stingless bees, recently.
The community service team came from the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) chaired by Dr. Wahyu Ario Pratomo SE, MEc, and 3 other lecturers as members including Dr. Yasmin Chairunisa Muchtar SP., MBA, Yola Anggia SE, M. Ec and Walad Altasani HR SE., M.Ec community service in Tanjung Pasir Village which has a myriad of potentials that if managed properly can help increase community income.
The Head of the Community Service Team from LPPM USU Dr. Wahyu Ario Pratomo SE, MEc told reporters, Monday (23/9) that this village has potential in the fields of agriculture, palm sugar production, asoka crabs, duck farming, palm fronds, and stingless bee cultivation.
In the last 2 years, the focus of the village government has been directed at the cultivation of stingless bees. In addition to having a high selling value, bee cultivation is considered quite easy to do and easy to manage together. There are two groups of honey farmers in Pangkalan Susu, namely in Tanjung Pasir District and Beras Basah District. In Tanjung Pasir there is a "Forest Farmers Group Maju Bersama Trigona" which has 13 family heads as members.
Kelulud bees are a type of honey-producing bee that is different from honey bees. Honey bees are a type of bee that is quite dangerous, especially if cultivated around residential areas. Honey bees have a sting that has poison and is quite dangerous if cultivated in residential areas. Given the densely populated village conditions, the kelulut type of bee is considered more suitable to be cultivated in this village to avoid the risk of danger from bee stings to the surrounding population. However, kelulut bees have been successfully cultivated in Terengganu, Malaysia.
One of those who has succeeded in cultivating kelulut bees is UiTM (Universiti Teknologi Mara). This cultivation is carried out within the campus area by placing bee houses in a predetermined place as long as the area is planted with many types of flowers that are food for bees. The results of this cultivation produce Kelulut honey called "UiTM Honey" which has been marketed outside Malaysia. Based on the information obtained, the selling price of kelulut honey is higher compared to honey produced by honey bees because not many people cultivate kelulut type bees and also after going through laboratory tests it is known that the benefits contained in kelulut honey are greater than honey from honey bees.
Based on a field survey conducted by the service team, the Maju Bersama Trigona Forest Farmers Group agreed to invite experts from UiTM Terengganu to provide input, teaching and solutions to the problems faced.
The service team will collaborate with UiTM (Universiti Teknologi Mara) Terengganu to provide knowledge about kelulut bee cultivation. As is known, UiTM Terengganu has succeeded in cultivating kelulut bees in the campus area and succeeded in producing kelulut honey which can be resold to increase income.
Then the Maju Koo Forest Farmers Group and Trigona will be taught to create new colonies without having to wait for Sinso to look for forest wood. The more colonies there are, the more honey can be produced, thereby increasing people's income, especially members of the Maju Bersama Trigona Forest Farmers Group. The hope is that the higher selling price of Kelulut honey can become a beneficial economic activity for increasing the income of the people of Tanjung Pasir Village.
Source: https://analisadaily.com/berita/baca/2024/09/23/1055762/tim-pengabdian-lppm-usu-di-desa-tanjung-pasir-peningkatan-economic-community-via-pemberdayaan-budidaya-lebah-kelulud/
