PERSEPSI PETANI TERHADAP PENGURANGAN SUBSIDI PUPUK DI DESA TORONGREJO KECAMATAN JUNREJO KOTA BATU

The role of agriculture is also a determining factor in the process of national economic development, as the majority of Indonesia's population earns a living from agricultural products. Fertilizer is a substance containing one or more nutrients that are given to plants or planting media to support the growth process and improve soil structure. The subsidized fertilizer program is a government priority program that aims to ease the burden on farmers so they can buy fertilizers for their food crops at an affordable price. Thus, this study aims to analyze farmers' perceptions of the reduction of fertilizer subsidies in Torongrejo Village, Junrejo District, Batu City. Using a quantitative descriptive approach with a purposive sampling technique on 90 respondents, data was analyzed using the SEM-PLS method. The results of the study show that age, education, farming experience, and land area affect farmers' perceptions of the scarcity and misuse of subsidized fertilizers. Land area plays an important role in adapting to policies, while low education is a challenge. The government is advised to design training programs that are in accordance with the farmers' socio- economic characteristics in order to increase agricultural resilience and efficiency.