PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BNI through the Jejak Kopi Khatulistiwa (JKK) Program also plays a role in encouraging the increase in national coffee products to achieve food self-sufficiency and go global through Xpora. One of the customers participating in this program is Mahkota Java Coffee from Garut, West Java.
BNI Corporate Secretary Okki Rushartomo said that Jejak Kopi Khatulistiwa (JKK) is proof of BNI's seriousness in increasing the capacity of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the social forestry area so that they continue to grow.
"BNI JKK is a social forestry program that aims to provide access to financing for coffee farmers who have obtained formal land management rights from the state. In addition, this program also has the potential to increase the green economy, especially for export-oriented coffee MSMEs," said Okki in a press release.
In addition to aiming to increase the competitiveness of coffee farmers in Indonesia, JKK can also increase financial inclusion among coffee farmers. Okki explained that until December 2024, BNI has distributed credit of Rp67.2 billion to 525 coffee farmers in various regions in Indonesia.
"The program, which has been running since 2022, also provides various supports, ranging from education, curation, incubation, business matching, to the use of financial transaction solutions at BNI," he said.
BNI JKK has been present in five provinces in Indonesia, including Humbang Hasundutan (North Sumatra), Rejang Lebong (South Sumatra), Garut (West Java), Jember (East Java), and Temanggung (Central Java) Regencies.
Enung Sumartini, a coffee producer from Garut, West Java, who participated in the BNI JKK program, admitted that she had received many benefits from the program in developing her business.
"I am grateful to be able to participate in the Xpora business matching program organized by BNI with prospective buyers from overseas. I was also invited to various exhibitions to introduce coffee from Garut," said Enung.
Currently, Enung has also founded the Kasuga Farmers Group (Original Garut Coffee) which has around 130 farmer members.
Although Garut Coffee is still considered a "newcomer" in the world of Indonesian coffee compared to its predecessors that are already famous overseas, such as Toraja, Gayo, and Kintamani coffee, the development and potential of coffee from this region has attracted BNI's interest in supporting coffee farmers and MSME players. This support aims to strengthen competitiveness and produce the best coffee with high selling value.
"Not only preparing the best products and attracting buyers from abroad, BNI also supports us to be able to compete at the national level," said Enung, who has pioneered coffee production since 2010.
In addition to producing their own coffee beans, Enung and her husband also process coffee to produce the highest grade coffee that is often competed in international events. In fact, Enung became one of the winners in a coffee competition held by the Alliance of Coffee Excellence, a prestigious organization in the world coffee industry.
According to Enung, participating in exhibitions is one way to find new buyers and directly show the quality of the coffee she has. With the support of BNI Xpora, a service that helps MSMEs develop their business to the international market, Enung does not hesitate to enter the overseas market.
Enung, the owner of the coffee brand Mahkota Java Coffee, stated that Kasuga farmers, as well as hundreds of other farmers, had benefited from BNI's People's Business Credit (KUR) initiative. "In addition to capital, we also use various services from BNI that facilitate financial transactions in running this business," he said.
Coffee beans and coffee that have been processed by Enung and the Kasuga Farmers Group have penetrated the export market since 2018. Buyers are spread across various countries, such as Taiwan and Singapore. In a year, Enung managed to sell around 100 tons of coffee beans. "I am also preparing to be able to penetrate the South Korean market," Enung concluded.