Fuel price hike, Bali bombings leave Troso weaving industry in limbo<\/p>\n
Singgir Kartana, Contributor, Jepara, Central Java<\/p>\n
The center of the Troso weaving industry in Jepara, Central Java,
\nis facing difficult times, with the recent fuel price increases
\nfollowed by the recent Bali bombings.<\/p>\n
Times are so tough that many of the woven product producers in
\nthe region have been forced to shut down their operations, mostly
\ndue to the drastic drop in their sales.<\/p>\n
Many of the weavers in Troso, located some 16 kilometers south
\nof Jepara, say the fuel price increases resulted in a rise in the
\nprices of the raw materials they use in their production, as well
\nas higher transportation costs.<\/p>\n
"At the same time, we cannot just raise the prices of our
\nproducts. That would make them uncompetitive in the market,
\nespecially at a time when people's purchasing power is dropping
\nbecause of the fuel price hikes," Troso weaver Bukhori, 27, says.<\/p>\n
As weavers were trying to cope with the higher fuel prices,
\nthe Bali bombings delivered a devastating blow to the industry.<\/p>\n
"After the bombings, orders from Bali stopped. Some buyers
\nhave not even paid their bills yet," says Muhtarom, 43, who says
\nhe has been involved in the weaving industry in some capacity for
\nalmost 35 years.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's most prominent tourist destination, Bali, has been
\nfor years the main market for Troso's woven products, which are
\nfavorite souvenirs for foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
Troso's weaving industry took off during the 1980s and 1990s,
\nas the country's tourist industry experienced a boom.<\/p>\n
So popular were Troso weaving products that producers were
\nalso exporting their goods to countries throughout Southeast Asia
\nand the Middle East.<\/p>\n
"During those years, I could sell up to 5,000 pieces of woven
\ncloth a month at a value of some Rp 300 million. Now I am lucky
\nif we sell 500 pieces a month," Muhtarom said.<\/p>\n
Troso's weaving industry has been around since 1975. In the
\nbeginning, there was not much variety in the woven cloth being
\nproduced in the region, with most of the work in the Pekalongan
\nstyle.<\/p>\n
As more and more new products and motifs were created,
\nproducers began to expand into new markets. Apart from Balinese
\nmotifs, weavers also began creating products bearing traditional
\nmotifs from Lombok, Kalimantan and Toraja, as well as motifs
\ninspired by India and Pakistan.<\/p>\n
The products created in Troso included tablecloths, bedcovers,
\ncarpets and prayer rugs. Later, weavers expanded their products
\nto include textiles.<\/p>\n
Prices vary, from Rp 10,000 for a shawl to Rp 50,000 for a
\nsarong. These same types of products are more expensive when made
\nfrom silk.<\/p>\n
Apart from their varied motifs, Troso woven products are also
\nknown for the quality of their color and the close-meshed
\nthreads.<\/p>\n
There has been little effort by the weavers or the local
\ngovernment to improve the marketing of Troso's products. One
\neffort that was made was for the Jepara regency administration to
\nrequire civil servants to wear Troso woven textiles for their
\nuniforms.<\/p>\n
Yet, that does not seem to have helped market the products of
\nsome 200 producers in Troso that employ over 3,000 weavers,
\nmaking it the second most important handicraft industry in the
\nregion after the popular Jepara wood carvings.<\/p>\n
The recent fuel price hike and the Bali bombings have forced
\nabout one-third of producers out of business. Surviving producers
\nhave had to cut production and lay off employees.<\/p>\n
Muhtarom, for example, previously had some 120 employees with
\nup to Rp 500 million in sales a month. Presently, he has 40
\nemployees and sales of less than Rp 10 million a month.<\/p>\n
"Look, dozens of my manual weaving machines are not operating.
\nI cannot afford to buy the raw materials," says Muhtarom.<\/p>\n
Sutiningsih, 37, has been even less lucky. She was forced to
\ncompletely close her showroom and stop all production.<\/p>\n
She said she could no longer pay the production cost or her
\nemployees' salaries due to the drastic drop in her sales.<\/p>\n
According to producers, Troso's weaving industry has been in a
\ndownward spiral since the first Bali bombings three years ago.<\/p>\n
Many consider that devastating terrorist attack as the turning
\npoint for their once flourishing business. After the bombings,
\nproducers tried to switch their market from foreign tourists to
\ndomestic tourists and buyers.<\/p>\n
"Actually, beginning last year we began to feel that business
\nwas beginning to recover. But the fuel price hike and the second
\nBali bombings again brought back the difficult times," Bukhori
\nsays.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fuel-price-hike-bali-bombings-leave-troso-weaving-industry-in-limbo-1447893297",
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