PT Petrokimia Gresik (Persero), an Agroindustrial Solutions company within the holding company PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero), once again held the Petro Agrifood Expo (PAE) 2026 at the Petrokimia Gresik Experimental Garden (Buncob) on July 24–26, 2026. Through an agro-educational tourism platform, part of the company's 54th anniversary celebrations, Petrokimia Gresik invited urban communities, especially the younger generation, to learn about the agro-industry as part of its efforts to support the regeneration of Indonesian farmers.
As a token of support for farmer regeneration, Petrokimia Gresik also awarded Young Farmer Scholarships to 50 students from Agricultural Vocational High Schools (SMK) across East Java. The scholarships were awarded at the opening of PAE 2026, attended by Andi Nur Alamsyah, Director General of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities (Dirjen PSP) of the Ministry of Agriculture, on Friday (July 24, 2026).
Syamsuddin, Director of Fertilizers at the Directorate General of Fertilizer Production and Production (PSP) at the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized that farmer regeneration must be a shared concern to maintain the sustainability of the national agricultural sector. Currently, the age structure of Indonesian farmers is still dominated by the elderly.
"Of Indonesia's 29 million farmers, around 67 percent are over 45 years old. This is a warning. The transformation initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture to modernize agriculture is one of the government's efforts to support farmer regeneration," he said.
Meanwhile, Adityo Wibowo, Director of Finance and General Affairs at Petrokimia Gresik, stated that PAE represents the company's commitment to bringing the agro-industry closer to the community. He believes that Gresik, as an industrial city directly bordering Surabaya, has great potential to bridge urban communities with the agricultural sector.
"Many people know Petrokimia Gresik as a fertilizer producer. Through the Petro Agrifood Expo, we want to demonstrate that the agro-industry is much broader, from providing production facilities and the cultivation process to producing the food we consume every day. We also want to foster a closer relationship with the agricultural sector among the younger generation, so they can appreciate the role of farmers and the importance of maintaining national food security," said Adit, Adityo Wibowo's nickname.
He explained that the PAE is designed as an agro-educational tourism platform that provides hands-on learning experiences. Visitors can learn about the agro-industry chain from upstream to downstream, and see that modern agriculture is an innovative, economically valuable sector that plays a strategic role in national food security.
This concept is realized through various interactive activities so that the public not only sees agricultural products and innovations but also experiences firsthand learning about the agro-industry. Over the three days, the PAE 2026 featured 59 booths, attended by Pupuk Indonesia Group, agribusiness companies, farmers assisted by Petrokimia Gresik, the Department of Agriculture, subsidiaries of the Petrokimia Gresik Group, and schools assisted by the Petrokimia Gresik Department of Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL).
A variety of products, innovations, technologies, and even agricultural products were displayed to showcase the agro-industrial ecosystem from upstream to downstream. Visitors could also participate in the Little Farmer training, a composting workshop aimed at fostering awareness of agriculture and the environment from an early age.
He added that agricultural development cannot rely solely on technology and quality products. Regeneration of human resources is also a crucial factor in ensuring the sustainability of Indonesia's agricultural sector.
"We must prepare a generation that will continue the baton of Indonesian agricultural development. Therefore, farmer education and regeneration are a serious concern for Petrokimia Gresik," he said.
On the same occasion, Gresik Regent Fandi Akhmad Yani expressed his appreciation for Petrokimia Gresik's commitment to advancing the agricultural sector, including through farmer regeneration efforts in East Java. He believed that the involvement of the younger generation will accelerate the realization of modern and competitive agriculture.
"Today, fertilizer is increasingly accessible, fertilizer prices are decreasing, and offtakers are becoming clearer, so there is no longer the concept of loss. To attract the younger generation to agriculture, we must first generate profits. The government is paying significant attention to this," he concluded.
People's Festival
Meanwhile, one of the most anticipated events during the annual PAE (Pick Together with the Community) is the People's Festival (Pick Together with the Community). Visitors can experience fruit and vegetable shopping by picking directly from the plants.
The plants prepared for direct harvest by visitors include 3,400 melon plants, 1,000 watermelon plants, 2,100 sweet corn plants, and 1,400 glutinous corn plants. In addition, there are many vegetables that visitors can harvest directly.
Through the Petro Agrifood Expo 2026, Petrokimia Gresik hopes that more people, especially the younger generation, will be able to harvest these fruits and vegetables.
Attachments
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