The Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Agriculture, Wijaya Putra University (UWP), Transforms Hydroponic Pakcoy into E-Commerce-Based Onion Crackers in Gresik

The Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Agriculture, Wijaya Putra University (UWP), Surabaya, successfully implemented a community empowerment program titled "Developing an Entrepreneurial Village Center for Pakcoy Onion Crackers Through Product Innovation and Digital Marketing." The program took place in Karangcangkring Village, Dukun District, Gresik Regency.

This program is part of the 2025 Student Organization Capacity Building Program (PPK Ormawa), which aims to increase student contributions to village development through innovation and sustainable community empowerment.

This program targets the Karangcangkring Village Family Welfare Movement (PKK) as its primary partner. The product innovation began with bok choy plants cultivated by the Family Welfare Movement (PKK), a result of hydroponic cultivation mentoring by the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Agriculture (Faperta) of the University of West Java (UWP) during the Student Organization (PPK) program in 2024.

The hydroponic bok choy harvest was transformed into bok choy onion crackers—a healthy snack with high sales value and broad market potential.

Dwiyana Anela Kurniasari, S.P., M.Si., the supervising lecturer, explained that the selection of bok choy onion crackers was based not only on the availability of raw materials but also on nutritional aspects, product durability, and business development potential.

"The bok choy onion cracker innovation is the result of a collaborative effort between students and the community. We want to present a product that is easy to produce, popular with consumers, and has high economic value," explained Dwiyana.

This program directly involves the PKK women of Karangcangkring Village as the main actors in the production. They are provided with intensive training on the cracker-making process, post-production handling, packaging, and modern digital-based marketing techniques.

The Head of the Karangcangkring Village Family Welfare Movement (PKK), Fenni Fuadiyah, enthusiastically welcomed the program, as it provided new business opportunities and increased family income.

"We are very happy to be involved. The women here are very enthusiastic about making pak choy crackers. This could be a new business opportunity for us, especially now that we have been taught how to sell through social media and marketplaces," she said.

The Head of the PPK Team for the UWP Faculty of Agriculture Student Organization (Ormawa), Khilya Al Majida, added that this mentoring includes creating promotional content, managing social media accounts (Instagram Business, WhatsApp Business), designing product labels, and registering with marketplaces like Shopee.

"We want to leave something that can continue even after the program ends. So we are focusing on education, training, and building a system so that the PKK group can be independent in production and marketing," explained Khilya.

This activity received full support from the Head of Karangcangkring Village, Mr. Mansur, who considered the students' presence a breath of fresh air for women's empowerment. The village government is committed to supporting the sustainability of the pak choy onion cracker business.

This program is concrete evidence of the implementation of the Impact Campus and Wijaya Putra University's vision as a Sociopreneur University, where students directly impact change.

"This isn't just about bok choy crackers, but about how villages can become independent, creative, and digitally literate," concluded Khilya Al Majida.

Through this synergy, Karangcangkring Village is now growing as a women-driven and digitally driven entrepreneurial village.

RADAR GRESIK