The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia appreciates I Gusti Ayu Ngurah Megawati, a young agricultural entrepreneur from Pacitan Regency as a Beneficiary (PM) of the YESS Program in East Java Province for being able to optimize the production of temon palm sugar, with a turnover of tens of millions of rupiah each month and penetrate foreign export markets, especially Canada . This appreciation was conveyed by the Director of Polbangtan Malang, Setya Budhi Udrayana and Project Manager of the East Java YESS PPIU Program, Acep Hariri to I Gusti Ayu Ngurah Megawati, who is familiarly called Mega, when visiting the Temon palm sugar production site in Arjosari District, Pacitan on Saturday (21/1/ 2023). Palm sugar is a type of sugar obtained from the sap of the palm tree which grows in the tropics. This sugar has been used for centuries by people as a natural sweetener. A good market opportunity is well utilized by Mega as a promising business opportunity. Production potential, market opportunities and Mega's performance as a young entrepreneur encourage the Ministry of Agriculture through Polbangtan Malang as the Provincial Project Implementation Unit [PPIU] of the Youth Entrepreneurship And Employment Support Services Program [YESS Program] to provide Competitive Grants (HK) as YESS Program Beneficiaries (PM) in 2021 after Mega started the palm sugar business since 2020. PPIU's YESS East Java Program efforts are in line with the direction of the Indonesian Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo said that the Ministry of Agriculture will continue to facilitate young people so they can become farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs.
"We facilitate them. We increase their knowledge and abilities through training. We take advantage of technology, agricultural machinery, networking and marketing networks," he said. The same thing was conveyed by the Head of the Ministry of Agriculture's Agricultural Human Resources Counseling and Development Agency (BPPSDMP) Dedi Nursyamsi, his party is trying to change the mindset of the younger generation that agriculture is cool and great as a promising economic sub-sector for the future of families and nations and countries. In order to encourage the younger generation to work in the agricultural sector, he said, the Ministry of Agriculture, especially the BPPSDMP together with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is intensively conducting socialization of the YESS Program. "We at the Ministry of Agriculture hope that every year there will be one million young people engaged in the agricultural sector. If this is implemented, we are sure that Indonesia will prosper in the future," said Dedi Nursyamsi. Mega admitted that the support from the YESS Program encouraged her to be more active in improving the quality and quantity of palm sugar, known as the Temon brand. Now, the product has seven product variants namely ant palm sugar, printed palm sugar, mini cube palm sugar, palm sugar coffee, red ginger palm sugar and sachet palm sugar. “The palm sugar that we produce does not go through a chemical process. Unlike cane sugar. Low glycemic and traditionally made without preservatives. The taste is unique, because the method of dewatering and the solution used are organic ingredients from nature," said Mega. The Director of Polbangtan Malang, Setya Budhi Udrayana hopes that Mega will conduct a resonance and provide inspiration for other millennial generations in Pacitan and East Java. "The initiation of exports to Canada of 1.3 tons of liquid palm sugar which is planned for January 27, 2023 is one manifestation that the stimulus provided is bearing positive fruit for millennials," he said. Quoting the instructions of the Minister of Agriculture Syahrul and the direction of the Head of BPPSDMP Dedi Nursyamsi, Project Manager of the East Java PPIU YESS Program, Acep Hariri reminded Mega to stay enthusiastic, because the process that goes through training and assistance from the YESS Program will bring agricultural products to a wider market. Acep Hariri added, millennial farmers must always have a way to overcome problems and develop, as Mega did, by attending training and building networks so that there are export opportunities.
