Bogor Farmers Develop Digital Hydroponics with University Assistance

The Almadera Farmers’ Community, located in the Perum 2 housing estate in Parung Panjang village, Bogor Regency, has begun transforming towards modern agriculture. With guidance from the Community Service (PkM) team of Universitas Mercu Buana (UMB), local farmers are developing hydroponic vegetable cultivation integrated with digital-based business management.

The empowerment programme was realised thanks to funding support from the Directorate General of Higher Education, Research and Technology through a community-based empowerment grant scheme (Contract Number: 01-1-4/014/SPK-PKM/V/2026). The step was taken to address the constraints of limited land and the low economic value of harvests long faced by residents.

Before the programme’s intervention, community members only used their house yards for conventional farming. Wahyu Hidayat, a representative of the farmers’ group, acknowledged that the old methods resulted in inconsistent harvests that were difficult to market widely.

“We have only been planting simply in our home yards. The harvests have not been consistent, and we have not yet understood how to manage the business or market our products more widely,” Wahyu said.

The UMB PkM team, led by Novika Chandra Fertilia, together with lecturers Yopi Lutfiansyah and Bethriza Hanum, and involving students Muhamad Heriyanto and Bertolomeus Yohannes Siregar, implemented the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system. Beyond the physical infrastructure, the team also provided comprehensive training on business governance in the digital era.

Wahyu added that the training gave the farmers’ group a new perspective. “We are not only learning to plant, but also understanding how to manage a business professionally. We have become more confident about developing the business going forward,” he said.

Novika Chandra Fertilia, head of the UMB PkM team, expressed hope that the programme would spark economic independence in Parung Panjang village. By switching to a modern system, residents are expected to produce high-quality vegetables capable of competing in digital markets, thereby having a direct impact on increasing family incomes.