In collaboration with the Regional Agripreunership Development (READ) Institute, BIOTROP conducted an Entrepreneurship Training on Catfish Cultivation and Processing for 20 villagers of Cihideung Ilir community in Bogor on 23-28 November 2016. This training project was funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia under its program called Featured Entrepreneurial Skills Program (PKWU) and will be completed by January 2017.

The purpose of this event was to deliver knowledge and practical skill on catfish cultivation, to create an economically reliant community as well as to educate and train business management capabilities that consist of planning, running, building networks and developing business.

In the training, participants learned about the principles and processes of catfish cultivation from Dr Nur Bambang Priyo Utomo; processing of catfish into nutritional food products (i.e., meatballs, crispy crackers, nuggets and shredded meat) from Mr Muhamad Ulil Ahsan, S.TP; procedures to create durable and attractive packaging for the food products of catfish from Dr Nugraha Edhi Suyatma, and theory and practice of entrepreneurship and business management from Dr Agus Budi Wibowo and Ms Aswita Leweunesa.

After the lectures, the participants were divided into five working groups for the practicum session on catfish cultivation.  This practicum was led by Dr Nur Bambang Priyo Utomo and Mr Irhas.

By the end of January 2017, the project expects that the beneficiaries per group could already start they own small-scale enterprises on catfish food products.