Tanjungpinang Fish Crackers Expanding Internationally
Riau Islands is a maritime region, making it quite easy to find affordable fish, such as mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and scads.
Tanjungpinang (ANTARA) - In a corner of Jalan Merpati, Kilometre 11, East Tanjungpinang District, the savoury aroma of processed seafood wafts from a production centre. It is from this location that Bonak Chandra (66) manages the operations of CV Kyria Rezeki, transforming the marine wealth of the Riau Islands into international-standard crackers that have penetrated the Singaporean market.
This success story is rooted in the courage of a 22-year-old man. In 1982, Bonak migrated from Bangka Belitung to Tanjungpinang, starting his life as a coffee shop worker in the Kampung Baru area, where he would later meet his wife. Previously, Bonak had spent two years testing his luck in the cracker business in Palembang alongside his brother. However, intense competition forced him to return to the City of Gurindam.
The valuable experience gained in Palembang was not wasted. In 1988, equipped with minimal tools, Bonak and his wife ventured into the cracker business in Tanjungpinang. He took full advantage of the Riau Islands’ maritime location to secure a supply of fresh, affordable fish, such as mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and scads.
“The Riau Islands is a maritime region, so it is quite easy to find cheap fish, such as mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and scads,” said Bonamb in Tanjungpinang.
The initial steps were taken gradually. Small, clear plastic-packaged crackers that were originally only placed in local grocery stores slowly expanded into shops and supermarkets. As demand increased, Bonak recruited his first five employees for production and packaging. Using a bank loan, he subsequently built a production centre that also serves as his private residence on Jalan Mererti.
Currently, this Small and Medium Industry (SMI) enterprise employs 22 workers, mostly housewives, with a production capacity of up to five tonnes per month. Product varieties have also expanded, ranging from fish, prawn, and squid crackers to the signature Tanjungpinang ‘gonggong’ (sea snail) crackers.
These ready-to-eat products, priced between Rp2,000 and Rp18,000 per pack, are not only favourite domestic souvenirs but are also routinely shipped to Singapore via Batam every week. Ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations, shipments can reach up to two containers.
Bonak’s business ventures have further expanded with the opening of the “Pondok Gong-Gong” souvenir centre on Jalan Bandara Raja Haji Fisabilillah, which employs five staff members. Within a year, CV Kyria Rezeki has managed to secure an annual turnover of approximately Rp3 billion, complete with Halal certification and various awards from the central government.
This success in penetrating international markets is inseparable from the role of the Tanjungpinang City Government through the Department of Industry and Trade (Disdagin). In addition to facilitating assistance with equipment, such as raw cracker cutters, Disdagint has continuously guided product quality until CV Kyria Rezeki obtained the international food safety certificate, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).
“We have also received assistance from Disdagin, for example, a raw cracker cutting machine,” said Bonak.
The Head of the Industry Division of Tanjungpinang Disdagin, M. Endy Febri, emphasised the department’s commitment to involving all stakeholders in nurturing export-potential SMIs to ensure they can compete sustainably in the global market. For Bonak, the long journey from failure to achieving international certification is not merely about turnover, but about the pride of bringing local products to the world while creating livelihoods for the surrounding community.
“We are involving various related stakeholders to maximise the operational space for the SMIs mentored by Disdagin Tanjungpinang,” said Endy Febri.