Faculty of Agriculture UGM in collaboration with Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) held a training of trainers workshop on Wednesday-Thursday, February 21-22, 2024 at the Center for Agrotechnology Innovation (PIAT) UGM. The event was attended by citrus farmers, extension workers, and plant pest observers (POPT) from eight regencies, namely Bangli Regency, Sambas Regency, Rejang Lebong Regency, Malang Regency, Jember Regency, Banyuwangi Regency, Garut Regency, and Purworejo Regency.
Muh Amat Nasir, S.P., M.Sc., as the chairman of the committee, said that the ToT workshop aimed to improve the ability and skills of citrus agribusiness players in managing Huanglongbing disease (HLB) effectively.
“The workshop, which is packaged in the form of training of trainers or ToT, is expected to be able to prepare participants as agribusiness actors, namely farmers, PPLs, POPTs, and the relevant agencies, to channel their understanding and practice the skills they have acquired to their colleagues in their respective regions,” Nasir explained.
In the workshop, the participants received various materials on HLB disease management in citrus plants from resource persons with several backgrounds, including academics, researchers, and policy makers, such as the Director of the Directorate of Horticultural Protection of the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Drs. Jekvy Hendra, M.Si., and the Central Extension Officer of the Agricultural Extension and Human Resources Development Agency (BPPSMP), Dr. Ir. Mohammad Takdir Mulyadi, MM. Not only in the form of theory, the participants also received material in the form of practice in the PIAT garden.
The cooperation between Faculty of Agriculture UGM, ACIAR, and NSW DPI in the project code HORT/2019/164 has been going on for two years and will continue until 2025 with Prof. Dr. Ir. Siti Subandiyah, M.Agr.Sc., Professor of Plant Disease UGM, as the activity coordinator. This collaboration raises the issue of HLB disease in citrus plants that requires sustainable management practices. According to the Vice Dean for Assets, Finance, and Human Resources of Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Dr. R.A. Siti Ari Budhiyanti, S.T.P., M.P., this cooperation should be appreciated for its efforts to overcome the HLB outbreak, as well as a form of service and research that will be seen by the university.
“The faculty thank and appreciate the cooperation that becomes a forum for discussion of innovation and information exchange from the Faculty of Agriculture UGM and Australia to jointly overcome the HLB outbreak,” said the vice dean who is often called Sita.
Through this collaboration, the Faculty of Agriculture UGM shows its commitment in achieving SDGs, especially goals number 15 “Life on Land” and 17 “Partnerships for the Goals”.
Author: Hanita Athasari Zain