Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), through its School of Life Sciences and Technology (SITH), has initiated the development of candlenut potential as part of ITB's Community Service Program and the Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration (Kemendesa PDTT) 2024 in 3T areas of Eastern Indonesia, particularly in Bonibais Village, Laenmanen District, Malaka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT). Malaka Regency and NTT Province, in general, possess a promising candlenut commodity potential, but until now, it has not been fully developed, including the appropriate technology for post-harvest processing.
Candlenut (Aleurites Moluccana) is one of the many natural wonders hidden in Bonibais Village. Awareness of this great potential arose after the Head of Bonibais Village, Markus Bau, conducted an in-depth observation of candlenut in his area. Based on this observation, the village successfully obtained assistance from the Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia, submitted through the Desanesha application. This assistance included the presence of experts from ITB-SITH to help with post-harvest candlenut processing, thereby optimizing the candlenut potential in Bonibais Village.
To implement this program, ITB-SITH delegated Dr. Lili Melani along with a team consisting of Dzulianur Mutsla, Ph.D., Dr. Indrawan Cahyo Adilaksono, and a student named Reso Aji Saputra Wicaksono. Their goal was to improve the quality, post-harvest process, and valorization of candlenut in Bonibais Village.
Dr. Lili Melani, the leader of the ITB-SITH team, shared her experience traveling to Bonibais Village, which took six hours from Kupang City. Upon arrival, the team was warmly welcomed by Markus Bau and the local community. They then conducted a presentation attended by village representatives, where Dr. Indrawan Cahyo Adilaksono provided general information about candlenut and how to improve its quality based on agricultural principles.
Dzulianur Mutsla, Ph.D. then explained the post-harvest candlenut process, which can increase productivity while maintaining quality. Dr. Lili Melani added by providing insights on candlenut valorization and the production of candlenut-derived products.
During the presentation, the community's enthusiasm was evident. They hope that in the future, candlenut products from Bonibais Village can be realized and help improve the local economy. Dr. Lili Melani stated, "Seeing the strong desire from the community, we hope that in our next visit, we can assist the community in candlenut production so that the hope of candlenut becoming a commodity that can promote community welfare can be realized."
Related News:
1. nttzoom.com: ITB - SITH Kembangkan Potensi Kemiri di Daerah 3 T Wilayah Indonesia Timur
2. victorynews.id: ITB - SITH Kembangkan TTG Potensi Kemiri di Kabupaten Malaka Provinsi NTT
