From Berau to Five Continents: King Madu Borneo's Strategy to Conquer the Global Market
TWO CONTINENTS: Today, Farida honey products have reached customers on two continents, namely America and Asia. We hope to expand our market to all five continents.
10/1/20252 min read
In the forest honey business, Farida has proven that strong branding and strategic collaboration can open the door to exports across continents. Her product, King Madu Borneo, is now not only known domestically, but has also penetrated markets in America, Asia, and the ASEAN region.
Farida's business began out of concern for the difficulty people had in obtaining pure honey. “Many people sell honey, but finding the real thing is a problem for the community,” she said.
He then established a distribution system from various points in the forests of Kalimantan, starting from East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, to South Kalimantan. Wild honey is the mainstay, as it is harvested directly from natural hives.“Kadang sekali panen bisa 1 ton kalau musimnya bagus. Tapi kadang juga harus blusukan berbulan-bulan cari sarang madu. Kadang sekali panen cuma dapat 5 kilogram,” jelasnya.
The products are processed at her packaging facility, which employs five permanent employees and several contract workers. To ensure quality, Farida has also obtained halal certification, laboratory testing, and distribution legality for her products.Tak hanya madu biasa, dia berinovasi mengembangkan madu dengan bahan herbal khas hutan, seperti madu bajakah dan madu bawang putih tunggal. “Bukan sekadar jual madu, tapi juga edukasi. Kenapa harus pilih King Madu Borneo, kenapa pengemasan harus baik, dan bagaimana memastikan kemurnian,” jelasnya.
His business has grown steadily since participating in the Gebrak Pasar Internasional (Break into the International Market) program organized by the East Kalimantan Industry, Trade, Cooperatives, and SMEs Agency (DPPKUKM) last month.
“We have even started shipping products to Malaysia, and we plan to make them a specialty souvenir from Borneo in Sarawak. We shipped around 60 kilograms at the end of 2024,” said Farida.
Now, King Madu Borneo comes in various flavors and is available in major cities such as Jakarta, Makassar, Solo, and even at airports and souvenir shops. There, Farida is assisted by resellers in marketing. Prices range from Rp35,000 for 100 grams to Rp285,000 per kilogram.
With a digital marketing strategy and the establishment of an active reseller network, Farida even set up her own shipping service. “We ship so often that we opened our own shipping service. This makes it easier for customers to get our products,” she said.
Farida's target is now to export to five continents. “Now we have two continents, America and Asia. Hopefully, we can reach five continents,” she concluded optimistically. (*)
