Berau Coal's Steps Are Community Welfare Through Kakao Plants

Social Enterprise Coordinator of Berau Coal Yandi Rama Krisna. (Maria Trisnawati / VOI)

BerAU - PT Berau Coal runs the Community Development and Empowerment (PPM) program through cocoa cultivation. The PPM aims to increase the capacity of cocoa farmers, develop technological innovations, and support the sustainability of the cocoa industry in Indonesia.

Social Enterprise Coordinator of Berau Coal Yandi Rama Krisna said the cocoa cultivation program had started in 2010 and was carried out on an area of 600 hectares and collaborated with at least 184 farmers.

"This program aims to increase the income of the surrounding community and create new jobs," said Yandi when met in Berau, Thursday, December 7.

Yandi continued, based on data from the Berau Regency Plantation Service in 2018/2019 there were around 1,200 hectares of cocoa plantations. Then, in 2023, again carried out the data rejuvenation process in October 2023, only 500 hectares remained. The remaining 700 hectares were converted into oil palm plantations.

Yandi continued, to encourage the continued cocoa business in the community, PT Berau Coal also has a warehouse with a capacity of 800 tons equipped with special equipment for integrated fermented and processed cocoa beans.

Yandi said that previously Berau Coal only included cocoa plantations in its CSR program. Then from 2010 to 2016 cocoa farmers faced problems when there was no market that could absorb cocoa production when it was abundant. The absence of this market causes the community to lose motivation and PT Berau Coal then changes its strategy by establishing a fermented central warehouse.

"Finally we changed the strategy. At that time the Disbun had started to focus on cocoa, upstream became part of the Berau Plantation Service, we entered downstream. Finally, a factory was built, because there was a fermentation center that could improve the quality of farmers' seeds," said Yandi.

With the warehouse, he said, Berau Coal through its subsidiary Berau Cacao sent various samples of cocoa beans taken from farmers and then sent them to various chocolate factories. Until now, he said, brown beans from Berau have been sent to various cities in Indonesia such as Bandung, Bogor, Malang, Bali and Makassar.

"Once exported in 2020, around 10 tons. In 2022 we will acquire a sister company, so focus on sending it there. Export deliveries to Switzerland, the United States, and Canada," he said.

Apart from being supplied to the cocoa industry, cocoa beans are also used by the community around the company. Therefore, the residents of Berau Coal assisted in coordinating products and marketing them at the Batiwakkal Kemas House.

"Here there are 55 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that market their products, some are cocoa, but some are from other materials," explained Yandi.

Meanwhile, Senddin representing the fostered farmer PT Berau Coal in Rantau Panjang Village, said that the cocoa processing empowerment program from upstream to downstream at PT Berau Coal has had a positive impact on cocoa farmers in Berau Regency. Kakao farmers now have better knowledge and skills in managing cocoa.

In addition, this program has also increased the income of cocoa farmers. This is evidenced by the increase in the selling price of cocoa in Berau Regency.

"This cocoa cultivation PPM program is very useful for us. We get quality cocoa seeds, cocoa cultivation training, and marketing assistance. This really helps us to improve our cocoa quality and productivity," said Senduddin.