A Two-Decade Journey: Sumenep's Rosidah Expands Brown Sugar Business with BRI's KUR Support

Thin smoke rises from a simple production kitchen in Pragaan Laok Village, Sumenep Regency. Amid the distinctive sweet aroma of palm sugar, Rosidah (50) deftly stirs the mixture over a large stove. She has dedicated much of her life to preserving this traditional product.

For Rosidah, palm sugar is not merely a trading commodity but part of her life’s journey. Since 2006, she has developed a Madura-style palm sugar business using sap from siwalan or lontar palms, which grow abundantly in Sumenep.

Two decades ago, the journey was far from smooth. When starting out, Rosidah faced various limitations, from very traditional production equipment to capital that was frequently in short supply.

Yet her determination never faded, as she sought to provide for her beloved family.

“Alhamdulillah, as time went by, the quality of my palm sugar began to attract consumers. Orders started coming in,” she said, quoted on Wednesday (29/7/2026).

Slowly but surely, her customer network expanded to various regions. However, the major leap in the scale of her business came in 2016. At that point, she realised that soaring market demand could not be met without a significant injection of working capital.

At this crucial juncture, Rosidah decided to apply for a People’s Business Credit (KUR) at BRI’s Pragaan Unit.

“I had long been a BRI customer, but it was only in 2016 that I plucked up the courage to apply for a KUR loan. The process was quick and the BRI team was very responsive. I chose KUR because, besides the low interest rate, there is no collateral requirement. So it suits a small business like mine,” Rosidah explained.

This first step proved to be the right stimulus for her business. The fresh funds from the bank were immediately allocated to strengthening the supply of raw materials in her kitchen.

In the first three years as a borrower, the BRI KUR ran smoothly as her business gathered pace.

After her first loan was repaid with a clean record, Rosidah once again entrusted her business development to BRI. She applied for a second loan, this time at an increased amount of Rp50 million.

BRI’s financial support did not stop there. Given her consistently positive track record, in 2024 Rosidah again earned the bank’s trust, receiving a larger KUR disbursement.

For Rosidah, the KUR working capital from BRI brought benefits that directly reshaped her business.

“This BRI KUR is very beneficial for us, particularly for procuring raw materials and production equipment so we can meet demand,” she said.

With sufficient capital, her business grew rapidly. She said that after receiving the KUR capital, her business developed further, with daily production rising sharply to meet unrelenting market demand.

Her palm sugar output continued to increase. Before receiving BRI’s KUR support, she produced an average of around 200 kilogrammes per day; now production has risen to approximately 500 kilogrammes per day.

“Alhamdulillah, we can also help the local community. Besides receiving raw materials from them, we also absorb labour. When I first started, I did everything myself, but now I have six workers,” she said.

Today, the fruits of her 20 years of perseverance have taken firm root. Rosidah has won the loyalty of many regular customers across Madura.

Her market no longer stops at the village surroundings but has expanded across regency boundaries, reaching Pamekasan, Sampang and even Bangkalan.

Her marketing system has also become more modern and practical, thanks to long-established trust. Shop owners from Pamekasan to Sampang simply call her to place orders.

Once an order arrives, Rosidah immediately arranges logistics to supply those shops on a regular basis.

In line with growing volumes, her palm sugar sales turnover has continued to soar. The multiplied income has not only made her business financially healthier but has also become an engine of welfare for her family.

The success of this village business has even enabled her two children to open businesses in Surabaya.

For Rosidah, the partnership with BRI is no longer merely a debtor-creditor relationship but has grown into a close bond akin to family. That closeness has been built through regular visits by BRI officers to her home and production kitchen.

The officers’ presence is not felt as a form of supervision, but as sincere mentoring that encourages her in running the business.

Through these visits, BRI officers can see the business’s development first-hand whilst providing guidance and training to support Rosidah’s growth. Communication is very open, so every consultation need can be quickly resolved.

In addition, Rosidah has benefited from BRI’s flexible services, which allow additional business capital to be provided during an ongoing loan period, ensuring her operational needs remain well met.

Meanwhile, BRI Micro Director Akhmad Purwakajaya said that, as a bank focused on empowering MSMEs, BRI consistently expands financing access for businesses across the regions to boost productivity, create jobs and strengthen the real sector that underpins the national economy.

This commitment is reflected in BRI’s KUR disbursement, which reached Rp103.81 trillion by June 2026, equivalent to 54.63% of this year’s Rp190 trillion KUR quota for the bank. The majority of the disbursement has been channelled to productive sectors with a direct impact on people’s economic activity, accounting for 75.02% of total KUR disbursed.

“Rosidah’s story of building her palm sugar business in Sumenep is an inspiring tale of an MSME player who used KUR as a source of business capital and kept growing through BRI’s empowerment. We hope this story can inspire and be replicated by other MSMEs across Indonesia,” Akhmad affirmed.