Empowering Farmers Through Seaweed Drying House Technology Innovation as an Effort to Increase Productivity

Abstract

The people of Ohoidertawun village have known seaweed cultivation for a long time, their ability to cultivate seaweed is undoubted, on average each farmer has a seaweed cultivation business of 10 to 15 stretches (longline) with a length of 25 - 50 meters each.  Based on information from the local community, each stretch of seaweed produces 30 - 40 kg of dried seaweed for one harvest, with the current price of seaweed reaching Rp. 15,000, it’s certain that the income of each seaweed farmer ranges from Rp. 450,000 – Rp. 600,000 per stretch for one harvest or within 2 months. The problems that occur in post-harvest activities with the following identification results: 1). Drying dried seaweed in an inadequate or weathered place, 2). An open drying method that is very dependent on the weather, 3). It’s necessary to carry out seaweed drying innovations.The purpose of this activity to increase the productivity of seaweed farmers by utilizing seaweed dryer house technology. As a result, there has been 1 unit of drying house measuring 5 x 5 x 4 m (p x l x t) which can accommodate 3000 kg of wet or 300 kg dry seaweed, with a maximum temperature of 45⁰C, drying time of 2 – 3 days, not exposed to dust and dirt and avoided from rain, with a partner income of Rp. 4,500,000 for one production, and in 1 week two productions are carried out, the partner's 1-week income reaches Rp. 9,000,000.