Peningkatan Kapasitas Petani Aren melalui Pelatihan Fermentasi Nira Menjadi Bioetanol Berkadar Tinggi di Desa Langke Gorontalo Utara

Abstrak

Palm sap-based bioethanol has the potential to be a renewable energy source while increasing the added value of palm sugar commodities in producing villages, but farmers' technical capacity in managing fermentation is still limited. This community service activity aims to improve the knowledge and skills of palm sugar farmers in Langke Village, North Gorontalo, in applying palm sap fermentation technology to produce high-quality bioethanol. The method used was community-based participatory training with a one-group pretest–posttest design, involving 25 farmers and palm sugar craftsmen selected purposively. The intervention included the delivery of class materials, demonstrations, and direct practice of standardized fermentation: handling fresh sap, equipment sanitation, yeast preparation and activation, pH and temperature adjustment, monitoring fermentation duration, and process recording. Data were collected through a written test to measure knowledge and a performance observation sheet to assess skills, then analyzed descriptively using the average score and N-gain. The results showed an increase in the average knowledge score from 55 to 82 and skills from 50 to 80 with an N-gain value of 0.60 each (moderate category). These findings indicate that the training was able to shift traditional spontaneous fermentation practices toward more standardized and hygienic procedures, although challenges still existed regarding temperature stability and the use of measuring instruments. Overall, this program was effective in strengthening literacy and skills in palm sap fermentation technology as a first step in developing a high-content palm sap bioethanol center in Langke Village and has the potential to be replicated in other palm sap centers with adjustments to the local context.