Maniis Village, Cingambul District, Majalengka Regency, has great potential in various fields, especially agriculture, because Maniis Village is mountainous, so the natural conditions support agricultural production. However, much land still needs to be utilized. This idle land is just left and becomes a place for grass and weeds to grow, even though it could open up new jobs and become an additional source of income for the local community. With the theme “Empowering Beneng Taro Farmers in the Context of Improving the Welfare of the Maniis Village Community”, KKN 214 UNS students carried out outreach to introduce beneng taro plants to various groups starting from elementary school students, PKK Women’s Groups, Karang Taruna, Village Officials, Farmer Groups, to the general public.
Beneng taro is a tuber crop with great potential, especially in the global market. Many processed taro beneng leaves are exported to foreign markets as a substitute for tobacco for cigarette products. Other parts of the beneng taro plant can also be processed into products with high selling value. Beneng taro fronds can be innovated as fish pellets solid and liquid organic fertilizer. Beneng taro tubers can be processed into flour, which has the potential to be an alternative food. The culmination of the activities to empower beneng taro farmers was the simultaneous planting of 100 beneng taro seedlings, which was carried out on August 21, 2023, located next to the cultivation and production land for beneng taro of the Kampoeng Agrimaniis Farmers Group. This activity was attended by Maniis Village officials, Cingambul District BPP, Cingambul District Head, Cingambul Self-Help Agricultural and Rural Training Center (P4S), Cibunut, Situ Gedhe, and Agrimaniis Farmer Groups, as well as the Maniis Village community.On this occasion, in his speech, the Head of Cingambul Subdistrict said, “In fact, each village has potential in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. Taro beneng can become a superior commodity in Maniis Village. “Seeing that all parts of beneng taro can be processed into products that have marketable value, from tubers to leaves.” The sub-district head also hopes Maniis Village can become a production center for beneng taro in Cingambul District and even Majalengka Regency. One of the events in this simultaneous planting was a demonstration of the production process of taro beneng leaves into tobacco. The sub-district head and the participants who attended were very enthusiastic to see the production process. The subdistrict head also plans to hold an expo of superior products from each village in Cingambul District so that superior products from each village can be better known to the wider community, including processed products from taro beneng.
