Community Partnership Program In Processing Cassava Into Mocaf On Woman Farmers In Petapahan District

Abstract

Today's women are no longer engaged in the domestic sector only but have explored the public sector, one of which is in agriculture as a female farmer. The choice of this profession as a female farmer is inseparable from economic factors and the demands of life. Ironically, even though it aims to increase family income, women farmers still have a relatively low income. It is caused by a lack of knowledge to take advantage of opportunities through innovative processing of agricultural products. Among the many agricultural products, one of the efforts that can be done is processing cassava into MOCAF (Modified Cassava Flour). This process is an agro-industry based innovation on agricultural products that utilizes fermentation in its processing. This activity is new for partner farmers in Petapahan Village, Lubuk Pakam District, Deli Serdang Regency. This condition is caused by 1) lack of knowledge partner in processing cassava into MOCAF, 2) Limitations in access to get a quality fermentation starter for MOCAF fermentation. Therefore, training and extension activities will be essential to improve the knowledge and ability of partner farmers in processing cassava into MOCAF, including counseling and training related to the fermentation starter. Moreover, the provision of production equipment (processing) for partner farmers must also be a concern, to facilitate partner farmers in processing cassava processing into MOCAF. So the opportunity for the emergence of new entrepreneurs in the processing of MOCAF will be greater.

Full text

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How To Cite This Article: Nasution AH, Purba N, Salvia S, “Community Partnership Program In Processing Cassava Into Mocaf
On Woman Farmers In Petapahan District” In Proceeding 3rd International Conference On Security in Food, Renewable
Resources, And Natural Medicines 2019 (SRFN 2019). Tanjung Pati., Proc., 2019. Pp C45 – C54. ISBN : 978-602-51262-8-4.
45
Community Partnership Program in Processing Cassava
Into Mocaf on Woman Farmers in Petapahan District
Amelira Haris Nasution*1, Nirmala Purba2, Salvia S3
Wilmar Bisnis Indonesia Polytechnic, Horticultural Agribusiness Study Program;
2) Wilmar Bisnis Indonesia Polytechnic, Tax Accounting Study Program;
3)State Agricultural Polytechnic, Animal Husbandry Study Program
* amelira.nasution@wbi.ac.id
Abstract. Today's women are no longer engaged in the domestic sector only but have
explored the public sector, one of which is in agriculture as a female farmer. The choice
of this profession as a female farmer is inseparable from economic factors and the
demands of life. Ironically, even though it aims to increase family income, women
farmers still have a relatively low income. It is caused by a lack of knowledge to take
advantage of opportunities through innovative processing of agricultural products.
Among the many agricultural products, one of the efforts that can be done is processing
cassava into MOCAF (Modified Cassava Flour). This process is an agro-industry
based innovation on agricultural products that utilizes fermentation in its processing.
This activity is new for partner farmers in Petapahan Village, Lubuk Pakam District,
Deli Serdang Regency. This condition is caused by
1) lack of knowledge partner in processing cassava into MOCAF, 2) Limitations in
access to get a quality fermentation starter for MOCAF fermentation. Therefore,
training and extension activities will be essential to improve the knowledge and ability
of partner farmers in processing cassava into MOCAF, including counseling and
training related to the fermentation starter. Moreover, the provision of production
equipment (processing) for partner farmers must also be a concern, to facilitate partner
farmers in processing cassava processing into MOCAF. So the opportunity for the
emergence of new entrepreneurs in the processing of MOCAF will be greater.
Keywords: Cassava, Female Farmer, MOCAF, Processing
INTRODUCTION
Women, farmers, and woman farmers are always interesting topics to discuss. In
the past, women have always been homemakers who are dependent. Over time, women
today no longer exist in the domestic sector only but also in the public sector. It is
proven by the number of jobs that have been undertaken by strong women, including
in the agricultural industry as a female farmer.
Being a female farmer is inseparable from the needs and demands of life; to
increase family income. Based on the interviews, the position of female farmers as one
of the supporters of the family economy was apparently not significant enough to
improve the family's economy due to the low ability of female farmers to take
advantage of opportunities through the processing of agricultural products.
The development of agro-industry has a bright prospect to increase the added
value of agricultural products, namely innovation-based agro-industries that are worth
trying and applying to various agricultural products. One of them is cassava because
of the characteristics of cassava which can adapt to climatic change and can

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strive less productive fertile land (Asnawi.,2003). Cassava has a strategic value to be
processed into MOCAF (Modified Cassava Flour) (Amri., 2014; Subagio., 2007;
Subagio., 2008)
MOCAF is a processed product of cassava flour which uses modified fermented
cassava cells (Subagio, 2006) in (Hartati, et al., 2011). Technically, the MOCAF
processing method is similar to cassava flour processing in general but accompanied
by a fermentation process using a variety of starter choices that depend on the needs
and availability on the market. Microbes grow and cause increased viscosity of flour
and change flour characteristics, gelatinization ability, rehydration power, and ease of
dissolution (Subagio., 2007). Processing cassava into MOCAF is another effort in
opening opportunities for food diversification (Yulifianti, et al., 2012).
The activity of processing cassava into MOCAF is something new for female
farmers in Petapahan Village, Lubuk Pakam District, Deli Serdang Regency. The
group of female farmers consists of housewives. These female farmers are cultivators
or woman farmers who are also landowners who are interested in processing cassava
into MOCAF. The diversity of backgrounds in this group provides the benefit of
making other derivative products from MOCAF flour, especially to open new business
opportunities to increase the income of female farmers as a formidable female farmer.
Although partner farmers are interested in processing cassava into MOCAF,
until now, this processing has never been done. This reluctance is caused by several
things such as 1) the limitations of farmers in the knowledge of processing cassava
into MOCAF, 2) limitations in access to get a high-quality fermented starter for
MOCAF fermentation, and 3) the limitations of farmers‘ financial resource for
processing cassava into MOCAF.
Therefore, training and extension activities are essential to improve the
knowledge and ability of partner farmers in processing cassava into MOCAF,
including counseling and training related to the fermentation starter. Furthermore, the
provision of production equipment (processing) for partner farmers must also be a
concern for the convenience of partner farmers in processing cassava processing into
MOCAF. So the opportunities for new entrepreneurship in processing MOCAF will
be even greater. Moreover, there are so many opportunities for MOCAF-based food
processing derivative products that can also be developed in the future (Nur‘aini, et
al., 2018).
METHODS
In Community Service activities through the Community Partnership Program
from the Wilmar Bisnis Indonesia Polytechnic team, the partner farmers have been
trained through several stages. The stages of training on processing cassava into
MOCAF began with the preparatory and preliminary stages of the survey in June 2019
in Petapahan Village, Lubuk Pakam District, Deli Serdang Regency. After the initial
survey activity had been done, the next step was the training activities in July and
August 2019. And the final stage was assistance.

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On the one hand, the focus of this activity was to provide training and assistance
in the introduction and enhancement of the knowledge and abilities of woman farmers
in processing cassava into MOCAF. On the other hand, it also aimed to accelerate
processing activities. This activity also focused on providing cassava processing
equipment assistance became MOCAF. It is hoped that the success of this program
will open opportunities for the initiation of new agro-industrial processing industries
for woman farmers.
Training activities with two-way extension and discussion format were chosen
because it provides convenience to increase the knowledge and skills of partner
farmers, and at the same time, it was easier for the team to respond to the opinions of
partner farmers. Activities like these are mostly done in the service activities that seem
to have been carried out by local authorities (Widiyanto, et al.,2015). The stages of
this activity are:
1.
Training on Processing Cassava into MOCAF
The purpose of this training was to levitate the knowledge of woman farmers
about the process of making MOCAF with extension methods that are equipped with
demonstration activities and the practice of making MOCAF. Counseling was done by
two-way communication and discussion with laptop and modules. The module was
intended to help woman farmers understand more about MOCAF and the stages of
making MOCAF. Moreover, this module was considered useful as a guide for partner
farmers when making their own MOCAF later.
In training activities of processing cassava into MOCAF, equipment needed
were knives, placemat, chopper machines, buckets, fermentation boxes, placemats
(woven), flour machines, sieves, sieves, plastics, and scales. Furthermore, it also
required three main ingredients, namely, cassava, water, and a fermentation starter.
The stages of this activity are explained in (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Stages of processing cassava into MOCAF

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2.
Multiplication of Starter Fermentation Training
Similar to the first training, the aim of this training was also to increase the
knowledge of partner farmers in supplementing the main raw materials for making
MOCAF. The differences with the first training were the multiplication of the
fermentation starter, demonstration activities, and practice. It was expected that female
farmers could multiply their own fermentation starters, without significant obstacles
when producing MOCAF.
A fermentation starter was needed, to make this, the process required equipment
consisting of buckets, measuring cups, plastic boxes, and stirring rods. While the
materials needed are water, molasses, and Lactobacillus Plantarum.
Figure 2. Stages of Multiplication Fermentation Starter
3.
Provision Of Cassava Processing Equipment Into MOCAF
Due to processing activities, processing equipment was unquestionably needed.
The pieces of equipment given to woman farmers were cassava chopper equipment,
MOCAF flour making equipment, and drying ovens. After the training and provision
of equipment, the next activity was to continuously mentor and assist partner farmers
overcome obstacles such as the use of the equipment and the processing of cassava
into MOCAF.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This activity began by visiting the location of partner farmers to ensure the
readiness and the willingness of partner farmers to participate in processing cassava
into MOCAF. In this case, other matters, such as technical matters and potential

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training participants, are also discussed. After all the preparations are made, the
following steps are taken:
1.
Multiplication of Fermentation Starter Training
The training activities are divided into two parts, the first training is making
fermented stater, and the second is processing cassava into MOCAF. In the
multiplication of fermentation starter training activities, equipped with modules that
can help partner farmers in practical training, as well as Guide for partner farmers to
increase the MOCAF fermentation starter independently.
In processing cassava into MOCAF, various kinds of starters can be utilized,
such as Lactobacillus Plantarium, Rhizopus Oryzae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, yeast,
permifan or Bimo CF. From the various types of starters above,
LactobasilusPlantarium is a starter that was chosen to be introduced to partner farmers
as well as being the topic of starter multiplication fermentation training for farmers.
The reason for selecting Lactobacillus Plantarum is because of the consideration of the
results of research (Subagio., 2007; Subagio., 2008) showing that MOCAF flour
produced from this starter has a protein content that is close to protein levels and flour
starch levels of 7.82% and 60-70% (protein content wheat flour: 7% and flour content:
60-70%). Research results (Noor, et al.,2017) show that LactobasilusPlantarium has
the potential to be developed as a single starter powder. So that in this training activity,
Lactobacillus Plantarum becomes the main starter. In this activity, BIMO CF is also
introduced as a starter.
2.
Cassava Processing Training Into MOCAF
The next training is processing cassava into MOCAF. Training activities to
process cassava into MOCAF is a 2-way discussion system with training modules and
practical activities.
Figure 3. Discussion with Train Participants in Processing Cassava Into MOCAF
The training activities of processing cassava into MOCAF were carried out with
two models, namely the use of Lactobacillus Plantarum and BIMO CF as fermentation
materials. The stages of this training activity can be seen in Figure 4.

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Figure 4. Cassava Processing Activity Into MOCAF
To be able to measure the success of the training activities, questionnaires were
distributed to the trainees. From the questionnaire, the results obtained in the form of
Table 1.
Table 1. Level Of Knowledge Before And After The Training Activities Of Processing
Cassava Into MOCAF And Starter Fermentation Starter Activity
No
Information
KnowladgeLavel
1
Knowledge BEFORE training activities on making
MOCAF
Low (100%)
2
Knowledge AFTER training activities on making
MOCAF
Incredible (33,33%)
Very Good (66,67%)
3
Knowledge BEFORE training activities on
multiplication fermentation starter
Low (100%)
4
Knowledge AFTER training activities on
multiplication fermentation starter
Incredible (16,67%)
Very Good (83,33%)
Table 1 shows that the knowledge of partner farmers before the training activities
for making MOCAF can be categorized as low (100%). This happens because the
processing of cassava into MOCAF is a new thing for partner farmers and has never
been learned before. The knowledge of partner farmers about processing cassava into
MOCAF is only limited to making tapioca flour, as well as food processing activities
such as gaplek or other traditional food made from cassava.

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Increased knowledge of partner farmers after the training activities of processing
cassava into MOCAF is measured 66.67% as very good and 33,7 as extraordinary. It
means that the uptake of partner farmers in receiving new knowledge and skills can be
categorized as excellent. This positive response is undoubtedly expected to have an
impact on increasing farmers' desire to process cassava into MOCAF to increase the
added value of cassava.
Table 1. reveals that there was an increase in the knowledge of partner farmers
after the fermentation starter multiplication training. Before the training activities, it
was found that the understanding of partner farmers was shallow (100%) in the
multiplication activity of the fermentation starter. However, after the fermentation
starter multiplication training activity, 83, 33% stated their level of knowledge was
very good. From Table 1. it can also be understood that there was an increase in the
understanding of partner farmers after the fermentation starter multiplication training.
Before the training activities, it was found that the knowledge of partner farmers was
deficient (100%) in the multiplication activity of the fermentation starter. However,
after the fermentation starter multiplication training activity, 83, 33% stated their level
of knowledge was very good. It happens because, for partners, the activity is an entirely
new experience. So that a positive response can be obtained from the training and
participation of partner farmers in this activity.
In general, the response of farmers to this activity can also be categorized as very
good. It can be seen from the eagerness of partner farmers in asking questions and
participating in the training activities. This training activity provides new knowledge
to partner farmers about the opportunity to process cassava into MOCAF. Training
and service activities similar to these activities also basically provide enthusiasm for
participants such as (Cahyanto., et al., 2018; Rachman, et al., 2016).
Based on the results of the final discussion, female farmers (partner farmers)
receive new insights related to the activities of processing cassava into MOCAF.
Ability to process cassava into MOCAF gives them the opportunity to sell their
agroindustry products better without having to sell raw cassava at an uncompetitive
price. From the results of the training activities, there are some inquiries made by
partner farmers about the Lactobacillus Plantarum fermentation starter or BIMO CF.
Therefore, the writer (executor) provides the starter with the hope that it can be
developed (reproduced) as a source of further multiplication.
3.
Processing Equipment
As mentioned before, the next stage was supplying processing equipment. This
processing equipment is a piece of supporting equipment that can facilitate partner
farmers in processing cassava into MOCAF. The equipment provided is a slicing
machine, flour machine, and oven (Figure 5). The slicing machine uses electric power
and dynamo, while the flouring machine used gasoline, considering the partner's
electrical capacity of only 450 watts. As for the oven, it uses gas. With this aid, it is
hoped that partner farmers will take the opportunity to increase the added value of
wood by processing it into MOCAF. For specifications, the flour machine

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that receives by the partner is greater than what was requested because of the
partner's electrical connection.
Figure 5. Processing Equipment
4.
Hand over processing equipment
Symbolically, the activity of delivering aid had been carried out (Figure 6). The
equipment delivered consist of a slicing machine, flour machine, and oven.
Figure 6. Activities of handing over cassava processing equipment to MOCAF
5.
Assistance Activities
The next activities carried out were assistance to use the processing equipment.
One of the agendas was discussion facilitation that brainstorms the obstacles in
processing cassava into MOCAF and obstacles in cassava cultivation activities.
Meanwhile, evaluation and monitoring activities are also being carried out. This stage
will show the final results of this activity.
CONCLUSIONS
In this activity, a multiplication of Lactobacillus Plantarum fermentation starter
training was carried out; this is to facilitate partner farmers to meet the needs of
fermentation materials for processing cassava into MOCAF.On the other hand,

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training activities have also been carried out on the topic of processing cassava into
MOCAF by using the starter Lactobacillus Plantarum and BIMO CF.
Based on the questionnaire responses, it can be concluded that both of the
training activities had an impact on increasing knowledge of the farmers, which was
very good at 66.67% for the training activities of processing cassava into MOCAF and
83.33% for the multiplication activities of starter fermentation training.
The delivery of cassava processing equipment had also been carried out. The
assistance program has an impact on the willingness of partner farmers to carry out
program activities to increase the added value of agricultural products.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Thank you to the Directorate of Research and Community Service (DRPM), the
Directorate General of Research Strengthening, who had accommodated the funding
of this Community Service program. Gratitude is also expressed to the Wilmar Bisnis
Indonesia Polytechnic Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM) who
supports this Community Service Program.
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