Institusional Strengthening Of Desa Lokasi Baru Business Entity Kecamatan Air Periukan Kabupaten Seluma

The team of lecturers from the Agribusiness Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bengkulu (UNIB) carried out community service activities by providing input and education to the people of Desa Lokasi Baru, Air Periukan District, Seluma Regency, especially to village officials and administrators of business entity of village. The theme given in this service is the institutional strengthening business entity of the village.

The team of lecturers involved in the activity was Ir. Sriyoto, M.S., as the team leader, and Rihan Ifebri, S.P., M.Sc. as a member. The activity also involved a student team consisting of Nadya Putri Khairunnisa, Lala Yulivita, and M. Ceffi Oktora.

One of the lecturers involved in the service, Rihan Ifebri, said that the purpose of this activity was to provide education and assistance to a business entity in Lokasi Baru village. Because by the Village Law every village has business institutions that can support the economy of the Village community.Lokasi Baru village is one of the villages in the Air Periukan sub-district, Seluma district. This village has a business entity of village which operates in the service and trade and agriculture sectors of the economy. The existing business units are savings and loan financial institutions (cooperatives), party equipment services, and beef cattle fattening. In the future, the business entity of the village for new village locations will develop agro-tourism management business units.

his service begins to explore the facts that have existed so far in the business entity of the village in Lokasi Baru village, then explores the potential that needs to be developed and plans for future development. The service team conducted discussion forums and questions and answers and discussed documents related to the business entity of the village.

The community service team found that the business entity of the village in Lokasi Baru village has business potential in the service and livestock sectors which are quite open for development, but the financial services sector is experiencing classic obstacles such as bad loans due to the sluggish economy after the Covid 19 pandemic. Development of party equipment services during there are quite a lot of enthusiasts but it needs expansion to add equipment for its development, it is hoped that there will be local or outside-village investors who are willing to invest their capital for the progress of the business entity of village in  Lokasi Baru.

Likewise, the livestock sector in the field of beef cattle fattening is quite productive, especially orders for Eid al-Adha which require a supply of beef cattle. The institutional business entity of the village in desa lokasi baru can cooperate with local breeders in sharing business results and also seek funds from additional investors for the progress of the beef cattle fattening sector.

Financial services are the primary sector that requires special attention to the business entity of the village in Desa Lokasi Baru. Institutional strengthening is expected to be a solution to the problem of bad credit, one of which is to form social institutions that can help repay village community loans in their own new locations, then business integration that can grow the village economy and have an impact on surrounding communities who have credit at village financial institutions. In essence, the existing community is involved in the business activities of the business entity of the village in the desa lokasi baru in order to grow the economy.

This community service activity is a concrete form of implementing the tri dharma of higher education, a lecturer at the UNIB Agribusiness Study Program who seeks to implement the knowledge that develops in society. It is hoped that by carrying out this service the community of desa lokasi baru, especially village officials and administrators of business entities of the village can develop their businesses and prosper life in the village of the desa lokasi baru.