UNAIR NEWS – Barnacle Pellets as Feed Alternative for Rabbit Weight Enhancement (PETASAN), is one of the Student Creativity Program (PKM) proposals that successfully represented Off Main Campus Program (PSDKU) UNAIR as PKM funded by Kemristek Dikti ( Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education) in the category of Entrepreneurship. The PETASAN team itself consisted of four female students of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH) and a student from Faculty of Public Health (FKM).
Barnacles, which are the main ingredients of this feed, are parasites that are often found sticking to ships and not used. This parasite turned out to have nutritional value which began to be processed into feed ingredients. With a fairly high crude protein content, which is equal to 46.5698% barnacle flour can be used as a substitute for fish oil which is good for gaining weight but expensive. Barnacles can even be used as the main feed for livestock such as rabbits, cattle, chickens, and other livestock.
“So far, there has been a lot of research on barnacles, but for feed products with barnacles as main ingredients, they still do not yet exist,” said Intan Rifdah TI as the leader of PETASAN team during interview on Sunday, March 31, 2019.
To UNAIR NEWS last week, Intan and the other four members – Fiko Ainun Nur A. (FKM 2017), Nur Mariyam Kusuma (FKH 2018), Nuril Islamiyah (FKH 2018), and Aldea Erian Debora (FKH 2018) – were producing PETASAN in Feed Laboratory PSDKU UNAIR Giri Campus in Banyuwangi.
The production, she explained, was the third time in the last three months. According to her, there were 25 kilograms of barnacles produced into 96 packages, each has a net weight of 500 grams. Intan and the team are targeting to be able to process 200 kilograms of barnacles into PETASAN products that are ready for sale.
“For now, our sales are still focused in Banyuwangi first. In the future, through our own PSDKU UNAIR students, we will try to expand distribution out of Banyuwangi, even outside Java, “explained Fiko, one of the members of PETASAN team.
These feeds will be available in several forms such as pellets, mash, and crumble which can be tailored to the needs of each livestock. EXPANSION also lasts for a long period of time, one year if it is stored in properly as stated in the packaging.
“PETASAN will be launched at the end of April in Banyuwangi Regency Agro Expo Festival,” Indah concluded.
Author: Tsania Ysnaini Mawardi
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
