JUL

Enhancing the Market Value of Wonosalam Coffee Farmers’ Products, UHW Perbanas Provides Marketing Training

Sunday, 20 July 2025 View: 625

Coffee remains one of the most widely consumed beverages among Indonesians. In 2023, approximately 79% of the Indonesian population reported consuming coffee, with many individuals drinking it on a near-daily basis. This presents a significant opportunity for coffee farmers to contribute to the national supply and meet consumer demand.

However, this opportunity has not yet been fully capitalized upon by the Wonosalam Jaya Forest Farmers Group (Kelompok Tani Hutan, KTH) in Jombang Regency. Their coffee products are still marketed directly, limiting their reach to village-level distribution through local stores or direct deliveries to individual customers.

This situation prompted a collaborative initiative between faculty members from Universitas Hayam Wuruk Perbanas and Universitas Maarif Hasyim Latif through a Community Partnership Empowerment Program. The program’s coordinator, Mochamad Nurhadi, S.Kom., M.M., stated that KTH Wonosalam Jaya possesses strong potential in coffee production, which can be further developed into higher-value products. However, a lack of knowledge and skills in marketing has led to both raw and processed coffee being sold at low prices, often requiring a lengthy sales process.

"The coffee farmers here have not yet received structured training or guidance, particularly in marketing strategies. This inspired us to initiate a marketing assistance program," Nurhadi explained on Sunday (July 20).

He further elaborated that around 40% of the training participants—mainly under the age of 40—already had social media accounts, yet had not utilized them for marketing their coffee products. The remaining 60% of participants had no social media presence at all.

"Our team, including UHW Perbanas students, assisted the participants in creating social media accounts. The training emphasized the strategic use of social media as an effective platform for online marketing. Participants also received hands-on guidance in creating and uploading promotional content," he added.

This training formed part of the broader Community Partnership Empowerment Program funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek), exemplifying the university’s real-world impact on local communities, particularly the Wonosalam Jaya farmers.

Mardiana Sukaryawati Ningrum, Chairperson of KTH Wonosalam Jaya, expressed her appreciation for the initiative, stating, "My colleagues and I are deeply grateful for this program, which has broadened our perspective and equipped us with valuable knowledge on how to market our products more effectively across Indonesia," she said.

It is worth noting that this program was implemented by Mochamad Nurhadi, S.Kom., M.M. (Coordinator), Prof. Dr. Dra. Tatik Suryani, Psi., M.M., and Lilla Puji Lestari, S.Pd., M.Si. (Members). In the coming month, the team plans to donate coffee processing equipment, including a semi-automatic coffee bean roaster and a grinder. (eko/pr)