12/02/2024. PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BNI consistently develops micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to increase their class and be export-oriented through BNI Xpora.
Cau Chocolates is one of the MSMEs that has felt the benefits of BNI Xpora, starting from finance to access to foreign markets.
Founder and CEO of Cau Chocolates, Kadek Surya Prasetya Wiguna, said that apart from financing, his business was also helped to expand markets overseas through the Indonesian diaspora.
"BNI is our primary banking partner. BNI Xpora connects us frequently with overseas diasporas who have the potential to sell chocolate. That's what really helps us," he said.
According to Kadek Surya, Cau Chocolates was created in Bali in 2017 in response to worries about the vast amount of Indonesian cocoa being sold overseas in raw form and then returned to Indonesia in the shape of various processed products. According to him, this is not profitable because other countries receive the added value.
He said, when Cau Chocolates was first founded, it was the number 3 producer of chocolate or cocoa in Indonesia in the world.
In 2017 they realized that many Indonesian products were exported in the form of seeds, and returned to Indonesia in the form of finished products, namely chocolate which has high added value.
In addition, Kadek Surya added, foreign companies dominate chocolate factories in Bali due to their superior technology capabilities. This makes him desire to promote Indonesian cocoa as the authentic Balinese chocolate product.
"After seeing it, we realized that this is a significant opportunity that should be pursued by the local community. So that was our starting point at Cau Chocolates to try for the first time to construct the first Balinese-owned chocolate factory that we truly owned," he explained.
Cau Chocolates' processed chocolate products have grown to 200 in number, with the most popular being finished chocolate products, specifically chocolate bars, which are sold primarily through local Balinese souvenir shops and also at a number of Duty Free stores in various countries. Not only that, Cau Chocolates has its own shop, Chocoland Bali.
To get cocoa to be processed into chocolate, Kadek Surya said that his party manages its own plantation. Aside from that, Cay Chocolates also works with a number of local cocoa farmers.
"At Cau Chocolates there are two instruments that we use to get cocoa. First, it could’ve been sourced from the company’s primary plantation. Second, partner plantations are those that are cultivated and collaborated with the surrounding community. So, some come from partner farmers and some come from core plantations," he concluded.
With the goal of continuing to improve Cau Chocolates' product quality, BNI Xpora is also committed to expanding market access by inviting Cau Chocolates to participate in various exhibition events at home and overseas, as well as business matching with Diaspora and Global Buyers from various countries.