Batu City Government Revitalises Apple Orchards to Preserve Iconic Commodity

The Batu City Government in East Java is striving to maintain the existence of apples as the region’s iconic commodity through a revitalisation programme for its plantations. Head of the Batu City Agriculture and Food Security Agency, Hendry Suseno, stated on Wednesday that the revitalisation is being carried out in stages and will target three hectares of apple orchards in 2026. “The revitalisation of three hectares is due to budget availability, while the total area reaches 300 hectares located solely in Bumiaji District. This is to preserve apples as the icon of Batu City,” Hendry said. The land revitalisation focuses on restoring soil fertility in apple orchards by providing PGPR and NPK fertilisers, following previous plant replacement or rejuvenation efforts. He noted that Bumiaji remains the only viable apple-producing centre, making it essential to protect. According to gene expression research conducted by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in 2023, the best apple production in Batu City indeed originates from Bumiaji, specifically Tulungrejo Village. The current farmgate price for apples is IDR 12,000 per kilogram, which can rise significantly in the market to IDR 30,000 per kilogram. Annual production data from the local agency shows a sharp decline: 2023 saw 21,862 tonnes from 573,595 productive plants, dropping to 14,028 tonnes in 2024 from 371,324 plants, and further decreasing to 10,660 tonnes in 2025 from 285,721 plants. In addition to land revitalisation, the agency is working to provide supporting facilities such as compost houses and communal livestock pens, as well as educational programmes to enhance farmers’ capacity. “We are assisting some as breeders and others in making botanical pesticides, as 60 per cent of apple production costs go towards purchasing pesticides,” he added. The city government hopes these efforts will ensure the sustainability of Batu’s apple plantation sector.