The Sweet Success of King Madu Borneo: From Fertility Therapy to Local Brand Going International

From a personal journey full of struggles, a business was born that is now able to bring fame to the region on the international stage. King Madu Borneo, a brand of honey sourced from the forests of Kalimantan, is one of the local MSMEs that has successfully brought regional products to the world market, including Washington, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The founder of King Madu Borneo, Farida, recounts how she first ventured into the honey business. Drawing from her personal experience of struggling to conceive due to PCOS, she turned to forest honey as a form of therapy. “By God's grace, after three months of regularly consuming forest honey, I was blessed with a child,” she said.

From that experience, she realized how difficult it was to find authentic honey on the market. Many counterfeit products, such as synthetic honey, adulterated honey, or syrup mixtures, were circulating. This inspired Farida to establish a business focused on pure Kalimantan forest honey under the name King Madu Borneo.

“My main motivation is to offer high-quality local products that are easily accessible, while also promoting Berau and Kalimantan to the national and even international level,” he said.

King Madu Borneo offers the advantage of 100 percent wild Kalimantan forest honey that is managed with premium quality. This product has obtained distribution permits, halal certification, laboratory testing, and export quality standards.

Various unique variants are also available, such as Black Honey, Yellow Honey, Trigona Honey, and the innovative Honey Black Garlic product. In addition, the company has also developed other honey products such as bee pollen and modern packaging that is practical for the needs of today's consumers.

“Our honey is harvested directly by local farmers in the forest, through a traditional process that is high risk for climbers. However, everything is kept environmentally friendly. After that, filtering, hygienic packaging, and quality testing are carried out in the laboratory. Currently, we also have our own packaging house,” explained Farida.

In terms of marketing, King Madu Borneo combines offline and online strategies. Offline marketing is carried out through exhibitions, bazaars, and partnerships with other MSMEs. Meanwhile, online, they actively utilize social media such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, marketplaces, and their official website to expand their market reach.

The target market for this product is divided into two segments. Domestically, it targets families, health-conscious young people, and consumers seeking unique souvenirs from Berau. Internationally, the product has penetrated markets in America, Asia, and the Middle East, with demand continuing to rise.

Despite its achievements, King Madu Borneo's journey has not been without challenges. The biggest obstacles are consumer education, fluctuations in raw materials from the forest, and the complicated process of completing export documents.

To overcome these challenges, Farida actively builds networks with the government, Pertamina, Bank Indonesia, and other relevant institutions. In addition, guidance for honey farmers continues to be provided so that harvesting can be more sustainable.

Interestingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has actually brought blessings to this business. Public awareness of the importance of health has led to a sharp increase in demand for honey. “Alhamdulillah, sales have actually improved during the pandemic, because people are looking for natural products to boost their immune systems,” he said.

King Madu Borneo has also received widespread support from various parties, including Bank Indonesia, Pertamina, the East Kalimantan Provincial Government’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (DPPKUKM Kaltim), the Berau Regency Government, the Trade and Industry Office (Diskoperindag), and the Ministry of Trade. This support has been provided in the form of training, promotional assistance, and the opening of export channels.

Through her now legally established company, PT King Borneo Mandiri, Farida has big plans for business development. Going forward, they plan to expand their export market, add more honey product variants, and build a Borneo forest honey education center.

"We want to not only sell honey, but also introduce the natural wealth of Kalimantan to the world. Our hope is that the government continues to strengthen the SME ecosystem, streamline licensing processes, and open more export channels for local products,” she concluded.

King Madu Borneo is proof that with perseverance, innovation, and support from various parties, regional SMEs can break into the global market. From the forests of Borneo, the sweetness of authentic honey can now be enjoyed worldwide.