BANDUNG – The Nascent Entrepreneurship Community Service Cluster (PKM) of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Widyatama, held an economic empowerment program for the community through training in ornamental fish farming for export. The event, which targets residents under the fUP2K, was held at the Multipurpose Building (GSG) in Sukapada Village, Cibeunying Kidul District, on Saturday, July 26th, 2025. This initiative aims to create new entrepreneurs by utilizing the proven stable and sustainable export market niche.
Promising Business Opportunities with a Clear Export Market
This program was born from keen observation of untapped economic potential. Ismail Solihin, S.E., M.Si., as Chair of the Widyatama Nascent Entrepreneurship Cluster, explained that the choice of ornamental fish farming was based on its clear market. “We are offering one opportunity to breed ornamental fish for export. This activity was chosen because it has a clear market niche, so insha’Allah, the exports will be sustainable,” said Ismail.
This statement is supported by Elan Aprilianto, an export practitioner and owner of CV Gama Aquaculture. According to him, the prospects for ornamental fish farming are very promising, given that Indonesia has extraordinary biodiversity with 4,552 endemic fish species. “Most of them are exported to various countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam for the Asian market, as well as the United Kingdom and Sweden for the European market,” explained Elan. He added that fish species that are easy for beginners to care for, such as guppies and brushmouths, have high selling value.
Partnership System as a Solution for Beginner Farmers
Elan Aprilianto, Owner of CV.Gama Aquaculture, as a resource person at this training event on ornamental fish farming for export.
One of the main challenges for start-up entrepreneurs is capital and market security. To overcome this, the community economic empowerment program offers a mutually beneficial partnership scheme. Elan Aprilianto explained the cooperation model he offered to participants. “We provide the broodstock and participants only need to prepare the location and facilities. I will take back the harvest, provided that the fish are of good quality and healthy,” he said.
This model provides a sense of security for new farmers, as they do not need to worry about marketing their harvest. Their focus is on making sure the farming process runs smoothly. For the initial stage, participants are provided with the skills to farm Guppy and Brushmouth Albino Slayer fish, which are relatively easy to care for and do not require frequent water changes, making them suitable for home-based businesses.
Enthusiasm and New Hope from the Residents of Sukapada
This training was greeted with great enthusiasm by the residents of Sukapada Village. Emi, one of the participants, admitted that she gained new insight that becoming an entrepreneur can start from small things. “The latest information I got is that to become an entrepreneur, you can start from the smallest things, and God willing, I will try to breed ornamental fish from home, starting with small aquariums,” she said enthusiastically.
Another participant, Seni, who has previous experience in fish farming, has high hopes for the continuation of this program. She hopes there will be more in-depth material on handling the risk of fish mortality and disease. “My hope for the future is that the material will be explored in greater depth, so that farmers will know about the diseases and how to anticipate them,” said Seni. The participants also hope for ongoing support from Widyatama to build a strong community that achieves true success.
Long-Term Strategy for Sustainable Community Economic Empowerment
Ismail Solihin stressed that this activity is not just a one-off training session. Sukapada Village is the third batch after similar programs were successfully held in Padasuka and Sukamaju Villages. Three new farmers have already emerged from these two villages. “This is a snowball phenomenon. Indeed, in the beginning, there may only be small players, but if we continue to build and unite their potential, God willing, this can have a big impact,” he said.
Full support also came from the local government. The Head of Cibeunying Kidul Sub-District, Drs. H. Aris Rusdianto., M.Si, appreciated the facilitation from LP2M Universitas Widyatama. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude. I hope this ornamental fish breeding training will be beneficial for all of us, the residents of Cibeunying Kidul Subdistrict,” he said. Moving forward, Universitas Widyatama team plans to establish a special cooperative for training alumni and conduct on-site visits to farms to provide hands-on experience for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Group photo at the Nascent Entrepreneur event held by the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Widyatama.
