JP\/18\/PUNDNG<\/p>\n
Pundong seeks to recapture past ceramics glory<\/p>\n
Singgir Kartana
\nContributor\/Bantul, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Until about five years ago, the Pundong subdistrict of Bantul, in
\nYogyakarta province, was very popular for its ceramics.<\/p>\n
About 200 ceramics centers were in operation there, with about
\n5,000 artisans working in the sector.<\/p>\n
Many, however, have now stopped for a variety of reasons, and
\nonly 50 remain. Even these artisans do not produce items every
\nday, and their production volume is not as great as before.<\/p>\n
Many of the larger players have stopped production altogether.
\nArtisans' earnings have dropped significantly as a consequence,
\nand many have lost their jobs and been forced to switch to other
\noccupations.<\/p>\n
Poniman, 47, who started his business in 1992, says that for
\nthe last two years business has continued to decline. His sales
\nhave dropped by 60 percent. Previously, he produced about 4,000
\nitems a month worth about Rp 20 million, but now he only receives
\norders worth less than Rp 5 million a month.<\/p>\n
"I had 60 employees working with me two years ago. Now there
\nare only 10 left," says Poniman of Bodowaluh hamlet.<\/p>\n
Dasilan, 57, a craftsman from Jetis hamlet, has had the same
\nexperience. He has received no orders at all for the last seven
\nmonths and has been forced to let go his 12 employees. As
\nrecently as two years ago he routinely received orders worth at
\nleast Rp 5 million a month.<\/p>\n
"There was a time when almost all the villagers here worked in
\nthe ceramics sector. Now less than half of us remain. All this
\nhas been due to decreasing markets," says Dasilan, who has now
\nturned to farming.<\/p>\n
Muktar, 45, who was once considered one of the most successful
\nceramic producers in Pundong, has had a much more tragic
\nexperience. Starting up in 1989, he never imagined before that he
\nwould experience times as tough as they are at present.<\/p>\n
During the good times sales were up to Rp 1 billion per
\nsemester. He employed over 300 artisans and workers in his
\ncenter. He also opened showrooms for displaying his varied
\nproducts. But all that was gone by 2002.<\/p>\n
"Of course, many other smaller producers have had a similar
\nexperience," said Muktar of Tulung hamlet, sadly.<\/p>\n
The ceramics "kings" of Pundong have had their moment. Besides
\nMuktar and Dasilan, many other names were once considered
\nsuccessful and senior in the business. These include Mujiono,
\nalso of Tulung hamlet, the owner of Bina Citra Ceramic Poniman
\nand Mudiyar of Mudiyar Ceramic.<\/p>\n
Attempts have been made to improve business opportunities in
\nPundong. The local Bantul regency government has even built an
\nasphalt road to connect the regental capital with the villages,
\nan art market and a training center in Panjangrejo village.<\/p>\n
Pundong, too, was then declared a tourist resort of specific
\ninterest. In 2003, the industry and trade office also provided
\nthe region with a gas-fired ceramics kiln worth some Rp 100
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
That was not all. Promotion was also done via the Internet on
\nthe www.bantul.com website. The village administration also
\noffered artisans training in ceramics making. That was apart from
\nparticipation in exhibitions to directly introduce Pundong's
\nceramic products to buyers and traders.<\/p>\n
Yet, it all seems to have made little difference to the
\nimprovement of the ceramics business in the region. The
\nfacilities provided by the government have fallen into disrepair.<\/p>\n
The kiln, for example, is not used. Locals cannot make use of
\nit because the gas to run it is too expensive.<\/p>\n
The Rp 200 million art market, too, is left unused. It's dirty
\nand locals usually make use of the site to dry wood or rice under
\nthe sun. The condition of the training center, similarly, is
\nequally as bad. It is not functioning and is unkempt.<\/p>\n
"It now has turned into a nest for tokek (house lizards),"
\nsaid Dasilan, who lives near the art market.<\/p>\n
Some, however, have denied that the ceramics business in
\nPundong is declining. Panjangrejo village secretary Joko Irianto,
\nfor example, says that business is booming: Products have even
\nbeen sent abroad.<\/p>\n
"I've been told that many of the centers here have been
\nroutinely receiving orders," he said.<\/p>\n
Muktar, however, refutes this, saying that most players are
\ninvolved in only a small part of the whole ceramics process. The
\nquantity, too, is not as great and the prices are low. They deal
\nwith local traders who then send them half-finished products to
\nother artisans for completion.<\/p>\n
"They are forced to accept such orders because they have
\nnothing else to do to support themselves. They'd rather not be
\ncompletely unemployed," Muktar explains.<\/p>\n
A lack of proper marketing management skills among producers
\nso far have been blamed for the declining ceramics industry in
\nPundong. The majority of producers lack marketing skills.<\/p>\n
As a result, marketing mostly depends very much on the
\nexistence of local traders or brokers that buy half-finished
\nproducts cheaply, to be finished elsewhere and then sold at a
\nmarked-up price to foreign buyers using the famous name of
\nPundong ceramics.<\/p>\n
"Unfortunately, if they asked for more, local traders would
\nplace their orders with producers from outside Pundong or to new
\nPundong producers who undercut them," Suparjo of Panjangrejo
\nvillage administration office said.<\/p>\n
Widiyanto, 38, a former ceramics producer who has now switched
\nto selling, agrees, adding that the situation in Pundong was
\nrather complex. Local traders act like a cartel. They can easily
\nmove to another place or, sometimes, establish smaller production
\ncenters in neighboring villages, turning out cheaper products.<\/p>\n
"The continued existence of ceramics in Pundong owes more to
\ncenters producing traditional earthenware products," Widiyanto
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Most ceramics producers in Pundong suggest that marketing
\nmiddle-men should be bypassed if the government really wants to
\nhelp revive the business in the region.<\/p>\n
That, too, would also free them from grasping local traders
\nand brokers. It would create a better opportunity for them to
\ndirectly introduce their ceramics to foreign buyers.<\/p>",
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