Sumowono BRILian Village, the Vegetable Village that Grows and Continues to Innovate with BRI

The morning mist enveloping the mountainous area is a familiar sight for the residents of Sumowono Village, Semarang Regency, Central Java Province. Behind the cool air and expanse of vegetable gardens, this agrarian village harbours an economy that continues to thrive, supported by the hard work of farmers, traders, SMEs, and collaborations built from village to village. The village head of Sumowono, Budiyono, explained that the mountainous terrain’s characteristics make agriculture the main backbone of the village’s economy. Vegetables are the flagship commodity pursued by most residents. The proximity of Sumowono Village to the central vegetable market in Semarang Regency further strengthens the village’s position as one of the drivers of agricultural produce distribution in the surrounding areas. “The economic potential most felt by the community at present is the existence of the market,” said Budiyono. Not just one, Sumowono has three markets operating alternately almost throughout the day, from the regency market, village market, to the morning market. Buying and selling activities almost never stop, becoming a meeting space between farmers, traders, and buyers from various regions. The development of the village market is inseparable from the arrangements made by the village government. Now, the village market is neatly organised from Block A to Block F. There, vegetable traders have diverse backgrounds. There are farmers who sell their garden produce directly, as well as traders who buy from farmers or distributors to then resell. Fresh vegetables from Sumowono not only meet local needs but also flow to various areas outside the village. Behind the bustle of that economic activity, the Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) Aji Bodronoyo plays an important role as a driver. The BUMDes oversees several business units, from managing the village market, village financial institutions, village square, waste management, to online shop and delivery order services. Through the village financial institution, residents and traders can access low-interest loans. Waste management is no longer just about cleanliness but is directed to add value. Meanwhile, the village square has been transformed into a safe, friendly, and comfortable open space as a gathering and activity place for the community. Innovation also comes through the ONNO (Online Delivery Sumowono) service, which was born from the BUMDes’s idea of seeing the great potential of village SMEs. ONNO not only serves as an online shopping facility for residents but also opens new job opportunities for village youth as drivers. Every day, this service handles around 50 to 60 orders, from daily needs to SME products. At the Sumowono Village square, the vibrancy of SMEs is increasingly felt. Around 20 to 22 active traders sell there, the majority in the culinary sector. Support from BRI comes through the CSR programme in the form of building a pujasera (public culinary centre), which will become a shared home for SME actors to grow more organised and comfortable. Funding support and digitalisation also become an important part of strengthening the village economy. BRI through the Sumowono BRI Unit helps business actors through the distribution of People’s Business Credit (KUR), general loans, to the provision of QRIS and EDC to facilitate non-cash transactions. That collaboration has yielded proud results. Sumowono Village has successfully entered the top 15 BRILiaN Villages 2025 at the national level. On a separate occasion, the Director of Micro Business BRI, Akhmad Purwakajaya, explained that Desa BRILiaN is a village empowerment programme to produce role models in village development initiated by BRI as a form of agent of development in developing villages. By the end of 2025, there will be 5,200 villages that have received BRILiaN Village empowerment spread across Indonesia. “In Sumowono, this programme is not just a label, but a story about a village that grows from vegetable gardens, people’s markets, and a spirit of mutual cooperation, towards a more empowered and sustainable future,” he said in a statement on Monday (30/3/2026). Hopefully, he added, Sumowono Village will advance even more and the empowerment programmes implemented can encourage local SMEs to continue developing, thereby improving community welfare.