Bantul people get by on 'Peci'

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post/Bantul

The fasting month of Ramadhan is the best time of the year for some 280 families in Bedukan village, Bantul regency in Yogyakarta, as the month marks the busiest time for their signature peci-making business. Peci's are a traditional headdress often -- but not exclusively -- worn by Muslim men, especially on formal occasions.

This year, orders have increased significantly, meaning they can afford to celebrate Idul Fitri well, even though prices of foodstuffs have skyrocketed following the government's move to raise fuel prices on Oct. 1.

In an average month, output averages 2,000 peci, but now demand has drastically increased to 10,000 per month.

"We estimate that demand for peci will reach 15,000 at Idul Fitri," said Bachrudin, 46, owner of the small Al Izzah peci- making enterprise.

Peci from Bedukan are sold at a standard price of Rp 27,000 (US$2.70) a piece, with marketing being entrusted to PT Ahad Nett International, a Jakarta-based distributor.

However, Bachrudin refused to describe in detail the cost of production, claiming it as a "trade secret".

The rise in demand, said Bachrudin, was due to the increase in religious activities during Ramadhan, when mosques are busy with various religious rituals. Men like to wear peci to the mosque, and also during the Idul Fitri celebrations when they visit friends and relatives.

"Orders for peci also come from other countries such as Malaysia, Pakistan and India," said the father of two.

The country's tropical climate, he said, has prompted men to opt for peci due to their cooling quality, compared to peci made from velvet. They say that peci, which are made of nylon, will not induce perspiration on one's head.

"Peci can also be washed when dirty, and can be folded and inserted into a pocket, unlike hats made of velvet which are stiff and easily damaged when washed with water."

A peci-maker in Bedukan, Pariyem, 43, said she could produce 10 to 20 a day, earning Rp 3,000 for each.

"I'm supplied with the materials and just have to knit them. The proceeds are pretty good; enough to celebrate Idul Fitri," said the mother of three.

Pariyem said that making peci was not a time-consuming job and that it supplemented earnings from her main source of livelihood -- farming.

"If there is no work to be done in the field, I can knit peci in the afternoon while watching television," she said.

The Al Izzah's peci industry was established by Bachrudin and his wife, Zumaroh, in 1997, out of concern that nearly all the housewives in the village had too little employment.

As clothes traders at the traditional market, the couple produced knitted peci. Soon, orders started flowing in.

"To fulfill the high demand for peci in 1999, we asked our nearest neighbors to get involved in the trade. Neighbors who mastered the knitting technique then taught other neighbors, until gradually there are now 282 families actively involved in the business," said Zumaroh.

Zumaroh said that to accelerate and facilitate the production process, her company supplied raw materials in the form of nylon and netting fabric. Hat makers are paid Rp 2,500 to Rp 3,500 for each peci, depending on model and motif.

The products are gathered together at Bachrudin's house to be packaged before being taken and distributed by the Ahad Nett International company. He gets Rp 500 to Rp 750 for each peci he collects.

"I don't mind earning a small profit, as long as I get paid and residents can earn their living," said Zumaroh, who says she makes on average Rp 7 million per month from the business.