Editor Heru Margianto Tilapia is a type of freshwater fish that has been widely cultivated in Indonesia. Tilapia fish contains a variety of important nutrients for health, ranging from protein, and healthy fats, to a variety of vitamins and minerals. 100 grams of tilapia contained about 95 calories and various nutrients, namely 20 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat, 10 milligrams of calcium, 25 milligrams of magnesium, 170 milligrams of phosphorus, 300 milligrams of potassium, 40 micrograms of selenium, 25 micrograms of folate. In addition, tilapia also contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, iron, zinc, choline, manganese, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and vitamin K.
With this content, tilapia fish inevitably has great benefits for human health, especially for Indonesian people, of course. Medically, the protein contained in tilapia has an important role as the main ingredient for forming body tissues, including muscles. Meanwhile, the omega 3 contained in it serves to increase energy and stamina. Other benefits, for example, are maintaining heart health, maintaining bone strength and health, increasing endurance, preventing anemia, and losing weight. The economic value of tilapia is of many kinds. The most popular of these types is tilapia. National tilapia consumption is increasing day by day considering the large benefits that can be obtained from tilapia. But it doesn’t stop there. In addition to the health value, tilapia also has high economic value, both for the community and for the country. For the community, tilapia cultivation can be one of the pillars of family food security. The tilapia business, which has the opportunity to bring in quite a promising income, will not only open the door to a sustainable living for the family but also the door to much better welfare for the community of tilapia business actors.
Therefore, recently local governments have been busy supporting various tilapia cultivation business programs in their regions with various appropriate cultivation methods and technologies. In Malang, for example, recently 85 fish farmers in Bakalankrajan can produce up to 26 tons of fish per year. The resulting turnover reaches IDR 660,900,000 per year. Amazing isn’t it? There are dozens of other districts and cities that are also pushing for the same program. But the story in Malang is quite interesting because tilapia cultivation there turns out to be dominated by young people who are the millennial generation. So tilapia cultivation can not only support family food security but can also be a contributor to employment opportunities for young people in the region, in this difficult era of employment. In other words, by cultivating tilapia, young people can be more productive and earn more income, without bothering their families and parents.
