The student delegation in the Food Science and Technology study program, Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University achieved a proud achievement by winning a gold medal in the 2022 Youth International Science Fair (YISF) event organized by the Indonesian Young Scientist Association in collaboration with BUCA IMSEF Turkey.
The competition took place on Monday (14/03) and then virtually, meanwhile the announcement of the results of the competition took place on Thursday (17/03).
Through an interview on Wednesday (23/03), Matthew Khosuma (a student in the 2019 Food Science and Technology study program) explained the reasons for his team’s participation. This is part of the concern for the issue of food loss, one of the biggest causes of losses in the agricultural sector, especially at the post-harvest stage. The competition is also a medium for scientific development and the distribution of ideas and ideas for various national problems.
In the competition, Matthew and his team explained research related to “Application of ZECC in Agricultural Center Areas in Maintaining the Quality of Post-Harvest Horticultural Commodities”. This is a new innovation for horticultural commodity coolers, namely ZECC (Zero Energy Cool Chamber).
This innovation can extend shelf life at a low cost, does not need to use electricity, and is environmentally friendly. This technology does not use freon as other cooling machines such as refrigerators. ZECC cooling technology is easily available to farmers to support quality crops.
Matthew said one of the challenges faced in preparing for this competition was adjusting the schedule. He and his team had to manage time so as not to interfere with the busy lecture schedule. The pandemic condition has also limited the space for participating in this activity.
“However, everything can be resolved well through teamwork,” explained Matthew.
Matthew and his team hope that the use of ZECC technology as agricultural product storage can be better known and developed in the wider community, especially in South Sulawesi and other central agricultural areas in Indonesia.
YISF is an international-level competition and is a forum for young world researchers to channel creative and innovative ideas in the form of written works. In this event, as many as 459 teams from 21 countries were involved in the competition.
Team Members
- Matthew Khosuma
- Muhammad Hanif Muflih
- Annisa Batara
- Indah Pratiwi Roslan
- Kartika Leatemia
Marningsih Sadik, S.S.
Editor : Ishaq Rahman, AMIPR
