From Blitar to Singapore: How Sunpride Partner Farmers Are Expanding Market Opportunities

Through farmer empowerment, quality improvement, and collaboration across the agricultural value chain, Great Giant Foods is helping connect local horticultural produce with wider market opportunities.

For farmers, seeing their harvest reach an international market is more than a business milestone. It is a reflection of the work, consistency, and collaboration behind every product. In Blitar Regency, East Java, this milestone has become a reality as melons grown by Sunpride partner farmers have reached the Singapore market.

The achievement reflects the growing potential of Blitar’s horticultural sector and the role of collaboration in helping local farmers access broader markets. Through its integrated agrifood ecosystem, Great Giant Foods (GGF) works with farmer partners and the local government to strengthen agricultural capabilities, improve product quality, and create more opportunities for locally grown produce.

Building Stronger Foundations for Farmers
Behind the journey from farm to export market is a process that extends beyond cultivation. Consistent product quality, effective post-harvest handling, and reliable market access all play important roles in helping farmers meet market requirements.

GGF supports this process through two complementary business units. PT Nusantara Segar Abadi (NSA) focuses on cultivation and farmer empowerment, while PT Sewu Segar Nusantara (SSN), through its Sunpride brand, focuses on market access and distribution. Together, they connect agricultural production at the farm level with broader commercial opportunities.

This integrated approach allows improvements in cultivation practices and production quality to go hand in hand with post-harvest management and distribution. By strengthening these connections, GGF aims to help farmers create greater value from their harvests while supporting a more resilient horticultural ecosystem.

Growing Together Through Local Partnerships
The development of Blitar’s horticultural sector is also supported by collaboration between farmers, businesses, and local government. The Blitar Regency Government plays a strategic role in fostering an enabling environment for agricultural development, supporting improvements in post-harvest practices, and strengthening the competitiveness of local farmers.

On August 26, 2026, GGF and the Blitar Regency Government marked this collaboration through “Berbagi Energi untuk Negeri” (Sharing Energy for the Nation), an initiative held ahead of National Farmers’ Day. The event brought together stakeholders through a joint melon harvest, health check-ups for partner farmers, the handover of agricultural equipment, farmer recognition, and a shipment of melons to Singapore.

The occasion highlighted the shared efforts behind the export milestone and the importance of continued collaboration in developing the region’s agricultural potential.

“We appreciate the Blitar Regency Government, particularly the Regent and his team, for their continued support for agricultural development and farmer welfare. We believe collaboration among local government, farmers, and the private sector is essential to ensuring that regional horticultural products not only meet domestic demand but also become increasingly competitive in global markets,” said **Cindyanto Kristian, CEO of PT Sewu Segar Nusantara.
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GGF also expressed its appreciation to Blitar Regent Drs. H. Rijanto, M.M., and the relevant local government agencies for their continued partnership in strengthening the region’s agricultural ecosystem.

A Farmer’s Journey from Cultivation to Export Markets
For Edi Santoso, a Sunpride partner farmer and supplier coordinator in Blitar, the journey reflects how collaboration can open new opportunities for local producers.

Edi began cultivating melons before joining Sunpride’s partnership network. Over time, he also took on a role in supporting other farmers in the surrounding area. Through consistent attention to product quality and collaboration within the network, the melons produced by the farmers he supports have reached the Singapore market.

“Seeing melons from our farms reach consumers in Singapore is a source of pride and motivation for us to keep improving quality and growing together,” said Edi.

Stories like Edi’s illustrate how farmer development can extend beyond individual farms. When knowledge, quality standards, and market connections are strengthened together, farmers can be better positioned to pursue new opportunities and build more sustainable livelihoods.

Creating Shared Value Across the Agricultural Value Chain
As an integrated agrifood group, GGF connects different stages of the agricultural value chain, from cultivation and farmer empowerment upstream to market access and distribution downstream through Sunpride. This model supports Creating Shared Value (CSV) by aligning business development with opportunities for farmers and the communities around them.

Rather than focusing solely on production volumes, this approach recognizes the importance of helping farmers improve quality, strengthen post-harvest practices, and connect with markets that value their produce. In turn, these efforts contribute to a more reliable supply of quality horticultural products and help strengthen the competitiveness of local agriculture.

The collaboration in Blitar is part of GGF’s broader commitment to growing together with its agricultural partners. By connecting farmers, local government, and business capabilities, GGF aims to support a horticultural ecosystem where local potential can translate into lasting economic value.

With melons from Blitar now reaching Singapore, the partnership demonstrates how coordinated efforts across the agricultural value chain can help create new market opportunities while supporting farmers in their continued growth.