PANGKALPINANG, JOURNALARTA.COM – Universitas Bangka Belitung (UBB) bersama Cokelat CandU terus mendorong pengembangan kakao lokal di Bangka Belitung melalui pelatihan, pemberdayaan petani, hingga pemanfaatan digital marketing. Kolaborasi ini diharapkan dapat melahirkan komoditas unggulan baru sekaligus memperkuat perekonomian daerah di luar sektor timah.
Owner Cokelat CandU, Merinda Haris, mengungkapkan bahwa strategi digitalisasi menjadi kunci pemasaran produknya.
“Cokelat CandU kebetulan memang melakukan penjualan cokelat itu secara digital, benar-benar memanfaatkan digital marketing, social media, dan marketplace, sehingga produk Cokelat CandU bisa terjual di hampir seluruh provinsi di Indonesia,” ujarnya.
Merinda menuturkan, sejak 2024 dirinya mulai berkolaborasi dengan petani lokal dan membentuk komunitas kakao.
“Sekarang, terutama tahun 2025, saya sudah menggunakan biji kakao lokal. Supplier kita yang paling besar itu ada di Pemali dan Tepus Bangka Selatan,” jelasnya.
Saat ini komunitas kakao binaannya beranggotakan sekitar 40 petani.
Cokelat CandU sendiri telah berkembang pesat. Selain penjualan digital, sejak Januari 2025 mereka juga membuka toko offline di Jalan Linggar Jati, dekat Alun-Alun Pangkalpinang. Produk yang ditawarkan beragam, mulai dari cokelat batangan, cokelat chips, bubuk cokelat, teh cokelat dari kulit kakao, hingga varian musiman seperti bonbon isi nanas lokal.
Merinda berharap ke depan semakin banyak masyarakat Bangka Belitung yang mencintai produk lokal.
“Kalau kita mengkonsumsi cokelat lokal, oh kita tahu ini dari tanah Bangka. Kita akan menggerakkan perekonomian daerah kita,” ujarnya.
Ia juga menegaskan komitmen Cokelat CandU untuk menghadirkan cokelat berkualitas.
“Manfaat cokelat sebagai mood booster dan tinggi antioksidan hanya akan kita rasakan kalau yang kita makan itu cokelat asli kakao, dengan komposisi dominan kakao daripada gula,” tambahnya.
Sementara itu, dosen FEB UBB, Dr. Reniati, S.E., M.Si., menegaskan bahwa pendampingan kepada Cokelat CandU merupakan bagian dari hibah pengabdian masyarakat tingkat jurusan.
“Kontribusi ekonomi kita kan masih didominasi oleh industri pengolahan yang berbasis timah. Jadi kita ingin mencari komoditas unggulan baru supaya nanti kita bisa menggeser kontribusi timah ke kontribusi dari sektor perkebunan, utamanya dari cokelat,” katanya.
Menurutnya, potensi kakao sangat besar jika digarap serius, terutama dengan tren produk cokelat sehat rendah gula.
“Dengan bermitra dengan Cokelat CandU, kita melihat masa depan cokelat cukup cerah. Bahkan ada varian yang menggunakan gula kabung, dan ketika dibawa ke Perancis, orang asing suka yang lebih healthy, lebih sehat, dan less sugar,” ujarnya.
Dalam kegiatan pengabdian ini, UBB menghadirkan sejumlah pakar, termasuk penyuluh dan dosen yang berpengalaman di bidang budidaya kakao. Peserta terdiri dari penyuluh pertanian, mahasiswa, serta kelompok tani. Selain pelatihan, UBB juga menyalurkan bantuan berupa bibit, pupuk, dan enam unit mesin pengolahan.
“Kami memberikan bibit dan pupuk untuk petani, serta mesin-mesin agar mereka bisa memproduksi cokelat dengan nilai tambah lebih besar. Harapannya, lahan-lahan kosong bisa dimanfaatkan untuk budidaya kakao, karena perawatannya juga tidak terlalu rumit,” tutur Reniati.
Dari sisi nilai ekonomi, pengolahan kakao memberi keuntungan signifikan.
“Kalau tidak diolah, harga kakao sekitar Rp70.000 per kilo. Tapi setelah diolah, nilainya bisa Rp150.000 hingga Rp170.000 per kilo. Artinya ada nilai tambah yang cukup tinggi bagi petani,” jelasnya.
UBB dan Cokelat CandU berkomitmen melanjutkan sinergi melalui edukasi dan pemberdayaan berkelanjutan.
“Semua stakeholder harus bekerja sama. Pemerintah perlu memberikan dukungan dari sisi bibit unggul, pupuk, hingga pendampingan penyuluh agar petani tidak bingung. Kita ingin menghadirkan success story bahwa cokelat punya peluang bisnis ke depan yang baik,” pungkas Reniati. (Zahwa)
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