PT Petrokimia Gresik (Persero), an Agroindustrial Solutions company and member of the PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) holding, proves that modern agriculture can become a magnet for Generation Z. Through the School Lab Farming program involving 261 students across three agricultural vocational schools (SMK) in East Java, students apply precision agriculture while managing school land as a space for learning, production, and agricultural business development.
As a result, the productivity of several commodities increased significantly. At SMK Negeri 1 Kademangan, Blitar, a total of 800 kilograms of dry shallots was successfully harvested from a 1,000-square-meter plot of land. This yield represents an increase of more than fivefold compared to the previous planting season, which produced only around 150 kilograms from the same area.
The President Director of Petrokimia Gresik, Daconi Khotob, stated that farmer regeneration is a shared challenge in maintaining the sustainability of the national agricultural sector. Through School Lab Farming, Petrokimia Gresik aims to deliver a farming experience aligned with the character of the younger generation—namely technology-, data-, productivity-, and business-opportunity-driven.
“Through School Lab Farming, we want to show the younger generation that agriculture today has advanced significantly. Supported by smart farming technology and the management of school land as a productive teaching factory, students do not only learn how to farm, but also understand how agriculture can be managed modernly and hold promising business prospects,” said Daconi in Gresik, East Java.
In addition to shallots, hundreds of melons were also successfully cultivated inside the greenhouse of SMK Negeri 1 Kademangan, reaching a sweetness level of 15 °Brix. Similar results were achieved at SMK Negeri 8 Jember and SMK Muhammadiyah 5 Gresik. Both schools cultivated different melon varieties with weights ranging from 1.2 to 2 kilograms and a minimum sweetness level of 15 °Brix.
According to Daconi, these achievements demonstrate that agriculture can become increasingly attractive to Generation Z when managed using the right technology and cultivation methods. Students can directly observe the connection between technology utilization, production processes, harvest quality, and the resulting economic value.
“When students see for themselves that the land they manage is capable of producing quality products with market value, they gain a new perspective on agriculture. Not merely as a cultivation activity, but as a business field that requires technology, analytical capabilities, and business management,” he emphasized.
In applying precision agriculture, students are accustomed to data-driven work. They record plant development, media conditions, fertilizer requirements and dosages, up to production yields through standardized matrices. From this process, students learn to analyze plant conditions while making cultivation decisions based on data.
In addition to shallots and melons, the three schools also developed supporting commodities such as green beans and cauliflower as part of crop rotation. This commodity diversification simultaneously expands students' experience in managing various types of agricultural enterprises.
School Lab Farming is a Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) program of Petrokimia Gresik executed within a Creating Shared Value (CSV) framework. This program not only provides agricultural infrastructure support, but also encourages the optimization of school assets so they can be utilized as practical spaces as well as production units.
The program is a follow-up to the HARVESTION 2025 competition, which previously brought together 33 agricultural vocational schools from 15 regencies/cities in East Java. From that event, Petrokimia Gresik observed that young people's interest in the agricultural sector is actually quite significant, but has not entirely developed into an interest in pursuing cultivation or choosing agriculture as a profession and business choice.
On the other hand, a number of schools still face limitations in practical facilities and access to modern agricultural technology, alongside a gap between classroom learning and industrial needs. In fact, many schools possess sizable and productive land that can be developed as practical laboratories and production units.
“School Lab Farming ensures that the learning process does not stop at field demonstrations. Students become the primary actors across the entire agricultural cycle—ranging from cultivation planning, crop management, data recording, harvesting, to understanding the economic value of the products they produce,” said Daconi.
The Principal of SMK Negeri 1 Kademangan, Hadi Sucipto, appreciated the School Lab Farming program for providing a new experience for students in discovering technology-based agriculture. According to him, a modern agricultural approach can boost the younger generation's interest because students do not only study cultivation techniques, but also understand technology and business opportunities in the agricultural sector.
“We greatly appreciate this program because students get the opportunity to learn and directly practice modern agriculture. Hopefully, this experience can foster a growing younger generation interested in developing the agricultural sector while supporting the realization of sustainable agriculture and national food security,” he concluded.
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