A team from UNPAD, Chunsan Group from Korea, and the West Java Marine and Fisheries Agency (DKP) conducted a joint visit to observe traditional salt production on September 21, 2023, in Dusun Madasari, Pangandaran. This visit is part of an initial assessment to enhance cooperation in salt management on the South Coast of Java.

The visit was attended by the President Director of PT Chunsan Group Indonesia, Director Mrs. Arini Lee, accompanied by the owner, President Director Mr. Hyun Lee and expert staff Advisor Mr. Gi Chuel Shin, as well as Mrs. Annis Sholihat, S.Pi., MM, and Mr. Asep Mulyadi, S.AP from the West Java Marine and Fisheries Agency. Also present were Mr. Alexander M. A. Khan, S.Pi., M.Si., Ph.D. (Head of the Tropical Marine Fisheries Study Program at PSDKU UNPAD Pangandaran), Mr. Noir P. Purba, S.Pi., M.Si, and Mr. Buntora Pasaribu, S.Pi., M.Sc., Ph.D. (Department of Marine Sciences, FPIK UNPAD). The visit was directly received by the head of the Madasari Salt Farmers Group, Mr. Toto Latun, which is a group fostered by the West Java Marine and Fisheries Agency and PSDKU UNPAD Pangandaran.

Alexander M.A. Khan, Ph.D., as the team leader, stated that quadripartite cooperation for salt development between academia, government, community, and industry is essential to promote the growth of MSMEs in Dusun Madasari. Integrated research support from downstream to upstream will continue to be carried out by research teams from Universitas Padjadjaran in collaboration with salt farmers, covering everything from the salt production process inputs to final product packaging, as well as the utilization of by-products from salt production. During the visit, the Chunsan Group team introduced the rope salt mining processes that have been successfully implemented in South Korea. Information exchange was also carried out by the Chunsan Group to strengthen quadripartite cooperation from production processes to marketing plans for export-grade salt products and the utilization of by-products from Madasari salt production in the future. The principle of fairness mutual cooperation will involve the exchange of knowledge, technology, and expertise between the company and the UNPAD research team, with a vision to improve the export quality grade of salt products in Dusun Madasari.

In addition to visiting community salt ponds, the visit also included the PSDKU UNPAD Pangandaran campus and the Marine Station FPIK UNPAD. At the end of the meeting, the Chunsan Group team stated that the strategic location, adequate infrastructure, and capable human resources owned by UNPAD are strong assets for future quadripartite cooperation. Therefore, the implementation of cooperation in salt management will be followed up at the next meeting. This visit is seen as a positive step in enhancing the local economy based on local products and supporting the preservation of traditional knowledge. In the current era of openness and information sharing, it is considered necessary and important to establish partnerships between companies, academia, government, and local communities to promote sustainable development. The local community, through the Madasari Salt Farmers Group, greatly appreciated the visit and hoped it would open up more opportunities for collaboration with international-scale industries. Toto Latun, as the community team leader, also hoped this visit could be a gateway to promoting traditional salt products, improving the quality of existing salt products, and expanding the market for Madasari Salt products.

Follow-up meetings will be held at Universitas Padjadjaran to realize further cooperation, which will later develop into joint research stages and trial production of export-quality salt based on research methods that will be conducted. Ultimately, UNPAD hopes that this cooperation will not only be focused on research and education but will also have an impact on accelerating the economic development of the local community as an implementation of a sustainable Blue Economy. AK; NP; BP