The implementation of precision agriculture on school grounds has proven to yield tangible results. SMKN 1 Kademangan, Blitar, East Java, successfully increased its shallot harvest more than fivefold, from 150 kilograms to 800 kilograms, during the first harvest season last July. This success through the School Lab Farming program in the previous year serves as one of the foundations for PT Petrokimia Gresik (Persero), an Agroindustrial Solutions company and member of the PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) holding, to re-open registration for HARVESTION (Harvest and Innovation) 2026 on Thursday (15/10/2026). Through this competition, the company expands competency development and innovation for students and teachers of Agricultural Vocational Schools (SMK Pertanian) across East Java as an effort to prepare the next generation of the national agricultural sector.
President Director of Petrokimia Gresik, Daconi Khotob, stated that developing agricultural talent is a strategic step to maintain the sustainability of national food security, particularly in East Java, which plays a vital role as one of Indonesia's food granaries. According to him, increasing agricultural productivity must be balanced with strengthening the competence of the younger generation so that the agricultural sector can continue to grow and address future challenges.
"East Java is the second-largest shallot producer in Indonesia. Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), East Java's shallot production in 2025 reached 499.46 thousand tons, nearly a quarter of national production. The achievement of SMKN 1 Kademangan proves that properly applied precision agriculture is capable of multiplying crop yields, even on school land. This potential needs to be safeguarded by preparing a competent and innovative young generation," Daconi stated.
He explained that through the Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) program using the Creating Shared Value (CSV) approach, Petrokimia Gresik continues to strengthen collaboration with the education sector to deliver application-oriented and sustainable agricultural learning. This approach positions schools as centers for competency development and innovation whose benefits are felt not only by students, but also reach surrounding communities. The success of School Lab Farming serves as an example of how utilizing school land can boost productivity while providing real-world experience for students in applying agricultural science and technology.
“Schools must become spaces for students to test knowledge, develop innovations, and generate solutions that can be implemented. Through HARVESTION, we aim to encourage school land and production units to evolve into living learning laboratories connecting scientific knowledge with agricultural needs in the field,” Daconi added.
Entering its second year of implementation, HARVESTION 2026 carries the theme “Precision Agriculture: Precise Planting, Great Processing, Multiplied Value” which emphasizes agricultural development from upstream to downstream. Precise Planting focuses on soil fertility management, measured fertilization, and efficiency of water and land use. Great Processing emphasizes post-harvest management and processing to maintain quality and minimize yield loss. Meanwhile, Multiplied Value is directed toward creating economic added value through innovation, entrepreneurship, and strengthening collaboration among schools, industry, and the community.
To embody this spirit, HARVESTION 2026 presents three competition categories, namely the Agricultural Olympiad, Agricultural Innovation and Technology, and School Lab Farming. All three are designed to strengthen academic competencies and practical skills, encourage the birth of appropriate technology innovations, and develop school potential as productive and sustainable agricultural learning centers.
The Agricultural Olympiad category is intended for students of Agricultural Vocational Schools specializing in Agribusiness and Agrotechnology across East Java to test their mastery of agricultural science, analytical capabilities, and precision in resolving agricultural issues from upstream to downstream.
Meanwhile, the Agricultural Innovation and Technology category encourages students to create application-oriented solutions based on real issues within the school environment or surrounding community. This competition covers agronomy and agricultural processing, emphasizing cultivation efficiency, productivity enhancement, harvest quality preservation, and added value creation through appropriate technology.
As for the School Lab Farming category, it is directed toward encouraging Agricultural Vocational School teachers to develop CSV-based program designs that optimize school land and production units as living labs for precision agriculture. Through this approach, schools are expected not only to serve as learning venues, but also to develop market-oriented, productive agricultural practices that provide benefits to surrounding communities.
Daconi emphasized that innovations developed through HARVESTION do not have to be complex or high-tech, but must be capable of answering real issues and delivering verifiable benefits. Therefore, innovation development is directed toward solutions relevant to agricultural needs, possessing sustainability potential, and capable of being implemented or replicated by other schools and surrounding farmers.
Furthermore, he expressed hope that HARVESTION can serve as a medium to strengthen collaboration between the education sector, government, and industry in preparing a young generation possessing the competence and drive to advance the agricultural sector. The program's success, according to him, is measured not only by the number of participants or competition achievements, but also by the sustained implementation of innovations and the benefits produced.
“Our hope is that HARVESTION does not end as a competition, but becomes the starting point for the birth of innovations and agricultural talent capable of bringing change. When schools are able to produce application-oriented solutions, young people have space to create, and the benefits can be felt by the community, that is where vocational education becomes a real force for the future of Indonesian agriculture,” Daconi concluded.
For information, registration for HARVESTION 2026 opened starting October 15, 2026. Registration for the Agricultural Olympiad category runs until October 30, 2026, while the Agricultural Innovation and Technology category is open until November 20, 2026. Complete information regarding competition categories, requirements, schedules, and registration mechanisms can be accessed through the official webpage https://harvestion.id.
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| 72 HARVESTION 2026 FINAL | 141 KB | Download |
