AMLAPURA, Bali (BPN) – Sibetan Village, located in Bebandem District, Karangasem Regency, Bali, has long been recognized as a hub for high-quality salak (snake fruit) production.
With hundreds of hectares of plantations, this village plays a crucial role in fulfilling the demand for salak in both local and national markets.
However, post-harvest handling of salak in Sibetan Village remains a significant challenge that requires special attention to ensure the fruit remains fit for consumption and maintains its high market value, especially for export outside of Bali.
Sibetan salak is known as one of Bali’s premium varieties, characterized by its sweet, slightly tangy flavor and crisp texture.
In addition to being sold as fresh fruit, Sibetan salak is also processed into various value-added products.
Despite this, farmers and producers often face several challenges in the processing stages.
Currently, the most common product made by Sibetan salak farmers is salak chips, although the fruit has the potential to be processed into other products such as salak candy, salak pickles, and salak-based sweets.
Sibetan salak still faces issues related to storage and packaging, which affect its quality and freshness.
A Community Service Team, composed of lecturers from the Agrotechnology Study Program at Mahasaraswati University Denpasar, led by Ni Putu Eka Pratiwi, S.P.,M.P. along with team members Dr. Dra I Gusti Ayu Diah Yuniti, M.Si, Luh Putu Yuni Widyastuti, S.P., M.Si., and Cokorda Javandira, S.P., M.P., held a socialization and training session on post-harvest handling and salak storage to address some of the problems faced by Sibetan Village on Friday, August 30.
The Community Service Team invited Margo Sulistyo, Ph.D., from National Ilan University, Taiwan, to join the session online, where he presented some of his research findings on salak post-harvest processes.
One of the key improvements producers can adopt is enhancing packaging methods.
Modern packaging solutions, such as stronger, shock-resistant materials, have started to be implemented.
Additionally, packaging technology that can control moisture inside the package is being introduced to help maintain the freshness of salak for longer periods during distribution.
On the storage front, research into the ideal storage temperatures for salak is advancing.
Currently, it has been proven that lower and more stable storage temperatures can significantly extend the shelf life of the fruit without compromising its flavor or texture.
The use of refrigerated storage facilities designed for tropical fruits like salak is also being encouraged in various salak-producing regions.
Through collaboration between farmers, the government, and researchers, efforts to reduce salak fruit damage caused by suboptimal storage and packaging are yielding positive results.
It is hoped that the quality of Sibetan salak in the market will continue to improve and that it will be able to compete both locally and internationally.
