Petrokimia Gresik Boosts Cayenne Pepper Productivity, Harvest Up 15 Percent
PT Petrokimia Gresik (Persero), through its ‘Pestani Rawit Groo Festival’, has given cayenne pepper farmers in East Java the opportunity to directly demonstrate the application of more targeted cultivation practices. A total of 270 farmers from Malang, Kediri, Mojokerto, Blitar, and Probolinggo took part in the programme by applying technology-based fertilisation and cultivation on their own land.
Petrokimia Gresik’s Director of Finance and General Affairs, Adityo Wibowo, said at the Pestani Rawit Groo Festival awards event in Belung Village, Poncokusumo District, Malang Regency, that the cultivation practices had shown positive results. Through demonstration plots, harvests reached 11.5 tonnes per hectare, an increase of around 13 to 15 percent compared with the previous yield of 10 tonnes per hectare.
“We want to encourage cayenne pepper farmers in East Java to continue increasing yields through balanced fertilisation, the use of technology, and appropriate cultivation practices, so that harvests improve and farming becomes more profitable. We are realising this commitment through the Pestani Rawit Groo Festival,” Adit, as Adityo Wibowo is familiarly known, said in a statement on Wednesday (19/8/2026).
East Java plays an important role in national cayenne pepper production. Around 35 percent of national cayenne pepper production comes from East Java, with total output reaching more than 600,000 tonnes. Improving productivity is therefore important to maintain chilli supply and support food security.
Through the Pestani Rawit Groo Festival, the cultivation process and its results were also entered into a competition. In the Groo Field Creation category, participants applied a cultivation package prepared by Petrokimia Gresik from planting to harvest. The competition was judged on the total weight of 54 cayenne peppers, which accounted for 80 percent of the score, while cultivation documentation accounted for 20 percent.
The number 54 in the competition has special meaning because this year Petrokimia Gresik is commemorating its 54th anniversary. The company’s anniversary spirit is expressed through activities close to farmers, while also serving as a platform to show that productivity improvements can begin with simple, appropriate, and consistent cultivation practices.
In addition to the on-farm competition, the Pestani Rawit Groo Festival also featured the Groo Plant Creator programme, involving 270 urban farming enthusiasts from 27 provinces across Indonesia. Through this programme, participants shared their chilli cultivation experiences, from planting to harvest, via social media. The programme was further strengthened through Groo Plant Partner, which involved 54 influencers, agricultural extension workers, and stakeholders to broaden agricultural education and bring the world of farming closer to the public, particularly the younger generation. Overall, the Groo Festival involved 540 participants comprising farmers and urban farming enthusiasts from various regions of Indonesia.
“This competition is not only about finding farmers with the best harvests, but also about encouraging participants to learn and directly prove the application of more targeted cultivation on their own land. We hope that cultivation practices capable of delivering optimal results can be replicated by other farmers in East Java, so that the benefits of the programme become even wider,” he said.