Besut: Dapur Komuniti, a community kitchen established by Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin's (UniSZA) Faculty of Bioresources and Food Industry, is among the university's initiatives to address the oversupply of agricultural produce, particularly in the Besut area. The faculty's dean, Prof Dr Hafizan Juahir, said the initiative also serves as a research and development centre to produce a range of value-added products that can extend the shelf life of agricultural produce to more than a year.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the initiative, created alongside the Sustainable Community Farm at UniSZA's Besut campus, serves not only as a food innovation hub but also as a means of strengthening the local community's economy through agricultural activities. "Our findings showed that farmers in Besut were grappling with marketing challenges while also coming under pressure from middlemen, causing farm-gate prices to fall and affecting their livelihoods," said Prof Dr Hafizan Juahir.
He highlighted the issue of sweet potatoes in Besut, which were previously sold for less than RM2 per kilogramme, despite being sold at higher prices in markets elsewhere. The price disparity was partly due to logistical barriers and limited access to digital marketing channels among some farmers, leading to unsold produce being wasted and farmers suffering losses.
Hafizan stated that the Dapur Komuniti programme has developed a variety of value-added products, including sweet potato crisps, ready-to-eat sweet potatoes and corn using retort sterilisation technology, chili oil, and more. It has also created an innovative product, pickled Terengganu Sweet Melon, using lower-quality melons that would otherwise go to waste, helping to cut food losses while creating an additional revenue stream for farmers.
"We convert agricultural produce that cannot be marketed fresh into value-added products, reducing waste while generating additional income," he said, noting that the initiative also provides hands-on food processing training for local residents, especially farmers, enabling them to produce value-added products.
He further explained that the Dapur Komuniti initiative, launched in 2023, is equipped with modern food-processing equipment worth around RM350,000, including retort machines, sealers, high-pressure fryers, ice cream makers, and dehydrators. These facilities support the commercial processing of various food products after research to verify their quality, safety, and market potential.
Additionally, discussions are underway with the Department of Skills Development to turn the kitchen's facility into an accredited centre for the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) in food processing. This move would enable UniSZA students to gain a bachelor's degree and an SKM Level 3 qualification, ensuring graduates leave with both academic qualifications and industry-recognised skills.
"The initiative will also benefit the wider community, including Malaysian Armed Forces veterans, by equipping them with skills they can use to pursue income-generating opportunities after retirement," Hafizan concluded.