Empowering Bantimurung Village Communities through Ara Fruit (Ficus carica) Product Diversification for Income Growth

The low added value of local commodities remains a challenge in strengthening rural community economies. In Bantimurung Village, Tondong Tallasa District, Pangkep Regency, ara fruit (Ficus carica), locally known as biraeng, is familiar to the community, yet its utilization remains limited and has not been directed toward economically valuable processed products. This community service program aimed to improve community capacity in diversifying ara fruit into fruit leather jam and instant powder drink as value-added local food products. The program was implemented through a participatory empowerment approach consisting of education, demonstration, hands-on practice, packaging and labeling assistance, and selling-price calculation simulation. Evaluation was conducted using pre-test and post-test questionnaires involving 25 participants, supported by practical skill observation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test. The results showed an increase in participants’ knowledge scores from 47.8±7.37 to 81.8±5.11, with a mean improvement of 34±2.81 points and a statistically significant difference. The practical skill score reached 83.8±5.05, the processing technology adoption rate was 92%, and business development interest reached 80%. These findings indicate that diversifying ara fruit into fruit leather jam and instant powder drink effectively improved community knowledge, skills, and readiness to develop processed products based on local commodities.