<![CDATA[Sweet potato is one of the main agricultural commodities cultivated by farmers in Gattareng Village, Marioriwawo District, Soppeng Regency, covering a total planted area of 52.3 hectares managed by 49 smallholder farmers. Despite an average productivity of 9.7 tons per hectare, farmers are unable to obtain optimal economic benefits due to their dependence on intermediaries who purchase the harvest directly in the field at low prices, typically ranging from IDR 3,000 to 4,000 per kilogram. Limited knowledge, skills, and access to post-harvest processing technologies further prevent farmers from transforming their abundant yields into higher-value products, resulting in substantial post-harvest losses. This Community Service Program (PkM) aims to enhance farmers’ capacity to process sweet potatoes into value-added products by providing training in appropriate processing technologies, hands-on demonstrations, and entrepreneurial mentoring. The program targets members of the Kabuttu Farmers Group in Gattareng Village. Implementation methods include workshops, practical training sessions, continuous technical assistance, and pre- and post-training evaluations to assess improvements in farmers’ knowledge and processing skills. The results indicate a marked improvement in farmers’ understanding and ability to apply post-harvest processing techniques. Participants successfully produced several processed sweet potato products with longer shelf lives and higher economic value than fresh tubers. The program has generated direct positive impacts, including increased processing capacity, diversification of income sources, and reduced post-harvest losses. Overall, this PkM initiative demonstrates that strengthening post-harvest capacity and introducing appropriate processing technologies are effective strategies for enhancing value addition, reducing vulnerability to price fluctuations, and improving the economic resilience of smallholder farmers in Gattareng Village.]]>
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