Bantul people get by on 'Peci'<\/p>\n
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post\/Bantul<\/p>\n
The fasting month of Ramadhan is the best time of the year for
\nsome 280 families in Bedukan village, Bantul regency in
\nYogyakarta, as the month marks the busiest time for their
\nsignature peci-making business. Peci's are a traditional
\nheaddress often -- but not exclusively -- worn by Muslim men,
\nespecially on formal occasions.<\/p>\n
This year, orders have increased significantly, meaning they
\ncan afford to celebrate Idul Fitri well, even though prices of
\nfoodstuffs have skyrocketed following the government's move to
\nraise fuel prices on Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
In an average month, output averages 2,000 peci, but now
\ndemand has drastically increased to 10,000 per month.<\/p>\n
"We estimate that demand for peci will reach 15,000 at Idul
\nFitri," said Bachrudin, 46, owner of the small Al Izzah peci-
\nmaking enterprise.<\/p>\n
Peci from Bedukan are sold at a standard price of Rp 27,000
\n(US$2.70) a piece, with marketing being entrusted to PT Ahad Nett
\nInternational, a Jakarta-based distributor.<\/p>\n
However, Bachrudin refused to describe in detail the cost of
\nproduction, claiming it as a "trade secret".<\/p>\n
The rise in demand, said Bachrudin, was due to the increase in
\nreligious activities during Ramadhan, when mosques are busy with
\nvarious religious rituals. Men like to wear peci to the mosque,
\nand also during the Idul Fitri celebrations when they visit
\nfriends and relatives.<\/p>\n
"Orders for peci also come from other countries such as
\nMalaysia, Pakistan and India," said the father of two.<\/p>\n
The country's tropical climate, he said, has prompted men to
\nopt for peci due to their cooling quality, compared to peci made
\nfrom velvet. They say that peci, which are made of nylon, will
\nnot induce perspiration on one's head.<\/p>\n
"Peci can also be washed when dirty, and can be folded and
\ninserted into a pocket, unlike hats made of velvet which are
\nstiff and easily damaged when washed with water."<\/p>\n
A peci-maker in Bedukan, Pariyem, 43, said she could produce
\n10 to 20 a day, earning Rp 3,000 for each.<\/p>\n
"I'm supplied with the materials and just have to knit them.
\nThe proceeds are pretty good; enough to celebrate Idul Fitri,"
\nsaid the mother of three.<\/p>\n
Pariyem said that making peci was not a time-consuming job and
\nthat it supplemented earnings from her main source of livelihood
\n-- farming.<\/p>\n
"If there is no work to be done in the field, I can knit peci
\nin the afternoon while watching television," she said.<\/p>\n
The Al Izzah's peci industry was established by Bachrudin and
\nhis wife, Zumaroh, in 1997, out of concern that nearly all the
\nhousewives in the village had too little employment.<\/p>\n
As clothes traders at the traditional market, the couple
\nproduced knitted peci. Soon, orders started flowing in.<\/p>\n
"To fulfill the high demand for peci in 1999, we asked our
\nnearest neighbors to get involved in the trade. Neighbors who
\nmastered the knitting technique then taught other neighbors,
\nuntil gradually there are now 282 families actively involved in
\nthe business," said Zumaroh.<\/p>\n
Zumaroh said that to accelerate and facilitate the production
\nprocess, her company supplied raw materials in the form of nylon
\nand netting fabric. Hat makers are paid Rp 2,500 to Rp 3,500 for
\neach peci, depending on model and motif.<\/p>\n
The products are gathered together at Bachrudin's house to be
\npackaged before being taken and distributed by the Ahad Nett
\nInternational company. He gets Rp 500 to Rp 750 for each peci he
\ncollects.<\/p>\n
"I don't mind earning a small profit, as long as I get paid
\nand residents can earn their living," said Zumaroh, who says she
\nmakes on average Rp 7 million per month from the business.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bantul-people-get-by-on-peci-1447893297",
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