26 September 2025
Threesna Sharfina
Sinaman II Village, located in Sidamanik Subdistrict, Simalungun Regency, holds remarkable potential in coffee, horticulture, and local handicrafts. However, farmers’ income in the village remains limited due to minimal access to export-import markets, the continued use of traditional production methods, and the lack of modern technology implementation. In response to these challenges, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), initiated a community service program aimed at improving the quality of local products and expanding market opportunities up to the international level.
The program emphasizes community empowerment by integrating socialization, training, technology application, and intensive mentoring. In coffee production, quality has remained low due to traditional processing and a lack of standardization, while farmers’ knowledge of machinery use is only around three percent. To address this, farmers received training in coffee cultivation based on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the use of modern machines, such as electric coffee grinders and compact roaster cooling airflow systems. Through this technological implementation, daily production is expected to increase from 50 kg to 100–150 kg, while technological competence and machine literacy are projected to improve by 40–50 percent.
In addition, the program also focuses on enhancing business management. Farmers are guided to maintain proper financial records, plan expenses more effectively, organize their businesses systematically, and apply appropriate marketing strategies. Digital innovation, attractive packaging and labeling, and market identification, both local and international, are incorporated as strategies to expand the market reach of Sinaman II’s coffee products. The program is carried out by a service team consisting of M. Muhammad Arifin Nasution, Hatta Ridho, Sri Alem Br. Sembiring, Hafizhah Salsabila Harahap, and Nuri Jannaturrahmi Tambusai. Sinaman II Village serves as the main partner, with technical support, coordination, and evaluation assistance from the Tebing Tinggi City Agriculture Office. Running from April to November, the program is expected to increase farmers’ income, improve coffee quality, and enhance the competitiveness of local products in the global market.
This empowerment program aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly poverty eradication (SDG 1), food security and sustainable agriculture (SDG 2), and decent work and economic growth (SDG 8).
The anticipated impacts extend beyond Sinaman II Village to include FISIP USU, the academic community, and students. For FISIP USU, the program reinforces its role as an educational institution that proactively engages in community empowerment and the development of applied social sciences. For the education sector, it serves as a collaborative model between academia and local communities—one that can be replicated elsewhere to strengthen the relevance of research and field practice. For students, direct involvement in this community service provides hands-on learning experiences that foster social competence, leadership, and the ability to apply theory to practice—preparing a generation of young people better equipped to face professional and social challenges.
