“Mocaf as an Alternative to Wheat”: FIB Unpad and Islamic Boarding Schools in Hegarmanah Village Cultivate Cassava for Economic Sustainability

Through Community Service and Empowerment (PPM), lecturers at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadajran, have conducted 32 activities involving local residents in several villages in Sumedang Regency. These activities have been carried out over a period of three years, from 2023 to 2025, and focus on the topic of local economic sustainability to avoid poverty.

One of these activities took place in Hegarmanah Village, Jatinangor District, with efforts to overcome the food crisis by improving vocational skills at the Hurriyatul Ummah Islamic Boarding School in the village. This boarding school-based activity was lead by Abu Sufyan, with Johan Arifin, Hasbini, and Nandang Nur Saleh as team members.

The activity then continued with two stages of intensive training, namely cassava cultivation and mocaf processing. The cassava cultivation session covered planting techniques, organic fertilization, and integrated pest management. After that, the mocaf processing session covered the fermentation, drying, and packaging processes, which then produced mocaf as an alternative to wheat.

For maximum effectiveness, before the activities could be concluded, the PPM team then held food trade training that provided skills in business management, packaging, branding strategies, and digital marketing. The students learn how to create attractive promotional content and market products through e-commerce and social media. With these extensive trainings and collaborations, the PPM team, students, and local residents hope this intensive program will provide sustainable economic opportunities, particularly in the food sector.

Red. Jauza Maryam Mumtazah