Malang (malangkota.go.id) – For some people, waste is a serious problem that is difficult to overcome. However, for residents of RW 1 Tasikmadu Village, Malang City, waste is a gift that can generate rupiah. Residents in this village sort and process organic waste for maggot farming animal feed.
Maggots are larvae of the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) or in Latin Hermetia Illucens. Maggots are usually given to several livestock such as poultry and fish. Maggots contain 40 percent amino acids and protein.
Head of RW 1 Tasikmadu Village Efendi Badrus said, in addition to being one way to reduce organic waste, maggot cultivation has economic value because the larvae from the farm can be sold for animal feed such as poultry and fish. At the beginning of the formation of this maggot cultivation, many residents complained about the large amount of waste that was not collected, causing a smell, especially wet waste.
"Since the maggot cultivation, finally the garbage collection in the environment has become orderly. Where mainly the wet garbage is all transported because it is directly ground for this maggot feed," explained the man who is familiarly called Badrus.
He said that residents felt the changes before and after the maggot cultivation. According to him, maggot cultivation has a very positive impact on residents in the surrounding environment. The smell of garbage in the corners of the disposal points is no longer felt so that the environment becomes cleaner and more comfortable. With the presence of maggots, waste that was previously wasted now has economic value.
"So previously we have conducted socialization to residents, especially those we target are mothers who usually handle household waste. We socialize mothers per RT about positive values and what impacts to the environment are like," he continued.
Badrus said that the Malang City Environmental Service (DLH) also assisted in the socialization activities. Finally, residents understood that wet waste can be used for animal feed, not just thrown away. For economic value, Badrus continued, although the form is small but it can be converted into rupiah.
Maggot processing opens the door wide for residents who help sell their harvest. Residents are given the basic production price, some residents can already sell it for bird feed. In a day, some can sell 10-15 kg with a basic price of Rp5.500,00-Rp6.000,00, usually sold for around Rp10.000,00.
"Maggot cultivation is not that difficult to develop. But there are still obstacles, especially in predatory animals such as rats, cockroaches, geckos, ants, and spiders. In addition, the condition of the media cannot be too wet or dry so we really have to control it," explained Fikri, one of the managers of maggot cultivation in RW 1, Tasikmadu Village.
According to him, the maggot cycle from egg to hatching takes 3-5 days. After the eggs hatch, they will be sown into the pond (bioponics) and ready to be fed with ground organic waste. The process for enlargement takes 12-14 days. Then when they are 12-14 days old, the maggots are ready to harvest. Some maggots are left so that they can be used as seeds to get their eggs again.
"When harvesting, one pond can produce 85-90 kg of maggots, currently there are 10 ponds here. After a week from larvae they become prepupae to enter the pupa phase then flies then lay eggs again. In one cycle (20 days) it consumes 6 tons of organic waste, so per day approximately 300 kg of organic waste is reduced to feed maggots," he explained.
Maggot larvae are not a medium for disease and can decompose organic waste 1-3 times their body weight in 24 hours. So it is very effective in reducing waste, especially organic waste from household waste from living things, both animals, humans, or plants such as food scraps, vegetables, fruit peels, leaves and others.
"In addition to maggots, the remaining waste eaten from maggot cultivation is also processed into compost so that it also has utility and economic value," concluded Fikri. (yul/ram)
