Tamalanrea-Makassar. Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, Hasanuddin University (Unhas), Prof. Dr. Ir. A. Mujetahid M., S.Hut., M.P. received a visit from Willie Smits, the Main Advisor to the Minister of Forestry and the aren team in order to discuss the potential for cooperation in developing aren. The activity took place starting at 14.00 WITA in the Senate Room, 2nd Floor, Faculty of Forestry, Unhas Tamalanrea Campus, Makassar, Friday (20/6/2025).
Also present at this activity were the Vice Dean for Partnership, Research, Innovation and Alumni of the Faculty of Forestry, Hasanuddin University, Syahidah, S.Hut., M.Sc., Ph.D., Head of the Natural Resources Conservation Center of South Sulawesi, Hasnawir, S.Hut., M.Sc., Ph.D., Head of the Forest Conservation Undergraduate Study Program, Dr. Asrianny, S.Hut., M.Sc. and several lecturers from the Faculty of Forestry, Hasanuddin University and the Ministry of Forestry team.
Starting the activity, the Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, Hasanuddin University, Prof. Dr. Ir. A. Mujetahid M., S.Hut., M.P. in his speech expressed his gratitude for the presence of the main advisor to the Minister of Forestry and the Ministry of Forestry’s aren team to discuss the potential for cooperation in developing aren in the Special Purpose Forest Area (KHDTK) of the Unhas Faculty of Forestry Education Forest.
“Currently, we are developing aren to be processed into products, both palm sugar and liquid sugar, so we really need cooperation with the Ministry of Forestry to expand the development of aren in the KHDTK Forest Education Forest of the Faculty of Forestry, Hasanuddin University,” explained Prof. Mujetahid.
Prof. Mujetahid presented the potential of aren in terms of aren product production and tapping training at the KHDTK Educational Forest, Faculty of Forestry, Hasanuddin University.
The Chief Advisor to the Minister of Forestry, Willie Smits, on this occasion presented the national program for the development of sugar palm. Sugar palm is a native plant of Indonesia that has a very rare growth characteristic that makes it very productive, exceeding other plants, as an environmentally friendly energy source.
“Although sugar palm is one of the plants with very productive growth characteristics, sugar palm has not been utilized optimally due to several reasons, one of which is that sugar palm generally still comes from natural regeneration and has not been widely cultivated so that there has been no optimization of productivity,” explained Willie Smits.
Furthermore, Willie Smits said that in optimizing the development of aren, it is very necessary to select areas that are ready to be developed for the aren program and to find local agencies or organizations to implement the aren program. Through the meeting, future cooperation can be established for the development of aren in the KHDTK Educational Forest of the Faculty of Forestry, Unhas.
The activity went smoothly until 16.00 WITA and ended with a discussion and group photo.
