PENANGANAN PASCA PANEN RUMPUT LAUT (Eucheuma cottonii) DI MAMOLO KELURAHAN TANJUNG HARAPAN KECAMATAN NUNUKAN SELATAN - Adam; Nasrudin, Abdul Rohman; Hajar, Siti (AKULTURASI, 2025)
Abstract This study aims to determine the post-harvest handling practices of Eucheuma cottonii seaweed by farmers in Mamolo, Tanjung Harapan Village, South Nunukan District, and to validate the moisture content of the dried seaweed produced. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and field studies to describe the stages of post-harvest handling. In addition, moisture content tests were conducted by taking three samples of dried seaweed, which were analyzed using an MB50 Moisture Balance Analyzer. The results showed that the post-harvest handling stages included unloading, hanging on drying poles, removing the ropes, gradual drying, packaging, and distribution. The drying process is the most crucial stage, capable of reducing the moisture content from around 90% in fresh seaweed to around 38-41% in dried seaweed. This value is close to the quality standard set by SNI 2690:2015, which is a maximum of 40%, although there are slight variations between samples due to weather conditions and drying techniques. These results confirm that post-harvest practices in Mamolo are quite good at maintaining seaweed quality, but improvements are still needed in controlling external factors to produce a more uniform moisture content that meets standards. Keywords: Eucheuma cottonii, moisture content, post-harvest, seaweed Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui praktik penanganan pasca panen rumput laut Eucheuma cottonii oleh petani di Mamolo, Kelurahan Tanjung Harapan, Kecamatan Nunukan Selatan, serta memvalidasi kadar air rumput laut kering yang dihasilkan. Data dikumpulkan melalui observasi, wawancara, dan studi lapangan untuk menggambarkan tahapan penanganan pasca panen. Selain itu, dilakukan uji kadar air dengan mengambil tiga sampel rumput laut kering yang dianalisis menggunakan Moisture Balance Analyzer tipe MB50. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tahapan penanganan pasca panen meliputi pembongkaran muatan, penggantungan pada tiang jemuran, pelepasan dari tali, penjemuran bertahap, pengemasan, dan distribusi. Proses penjemuran menjadi tahap yang paling krusial, mampu menurunkan kadar air dari sekitar 90% pada rumput laut segar menjadi kisaran 38–41% pada rumput laut kering. Nilai tersebut mendekati standar mutu yang ditetapkan SNI 2690:2015, yaitu maksimal 40%, meskipun terdapat sedikit variasi antar sampel yang dipengaruhi oleh kondisi cuaca dan teknik penjemuran. Hasil ini menegaskan bahwa praktik pasca panen di Mamolo telah cukup baik dalam menjaga mutu rumput laut, namun masih memerlukan perbaikan dalam pengendalian faktor eksternal untuk menghasilkan kadar air yang lebih seragam dan sesuai standar. Kata kunci: Eucheuma cottonii, kadar air, pasca panen, rumput laut