East Java's bamboo handicrafts go global

By Singgir Kartana

BANYUWANGI, East Java (JP): To many villagers, bamboo is only useful for the making of simple household items such as baskets while for others bamboo is a preferred source of firewood.

But in creative hands, like those of the villagers of Gintangan -- a village located about 17 kms to the south of Banyuwangi in East Java, bamboo can be turned into various handicrafts which are frequently capable of fetching high prices.

For the past five years, Gintangan village has earned a reputation as a center for bamboo handicrafts, the only one in Banyuwangi.

At least 200 families are involved in the handicraft business in the village, the home of at least 10 bamboo handicraft centers.

"This handicraft business is practically the 'soul' of the village because around 60 percent of the villagers earn their living from it," said 51-year-old Waras, one of the village's handicraft entrepreneurs, who now employs some 40 people.

The business started in Gintangan around 1990 and it was pioneered by Waras. His success encouraged other villagers to follow in his footsteps. Within just three years, more handicraft centers had appeared and the number has steadily increased since then, partially as a result of soft-loans provided by the state electricity company PLN and state forestry company Perhutani in early 1997.

Today, Gintangan village is home to a flourishing bamboo handicraft business as witnessed not only by the increasing number of handicraft centers, but also the business's high turnover which is valued at over Rp 200 million per month.

For the villagers, the handicraft business has become one of their most important sources of income besides agriculture. A worker in the business can earn between Rp 6,000 and Rp 10,000 a day, depending on his or her experience and skills.

Gintangan's handicraft products may be considered to be at the exclusive end of the market with their refined workmanship, artistic design and wide range.

Most of the products are sold as souvenirs or decorative items as opposed to useful household items. For instance, the upper part of a round cake box is crafted in the form of lotus flower petals. The box's plaitwork is highly refined and artistic, making it more appropriate as a decorative feature in a hotel than as a simple container for a cake.

Other bamboo handicrafts no less interesting as they come in a multitude of sizes, shapes and colors, such as candy boxes, newspaper and magazine racks, miniature houses, jewelry boxes and bedside lamps.

These items are sold at very reasonable prices of between Rp 5,000 and Rp 50,000.

According to Waras, a round cake container measuring 20 cm in diameter and 10 cm in height is the hottest selling item.

However, not every variety of bamboo can be employed to make such beautiful mementos. Only the apus (yellowish), wulung (blackish) and tutul (yellow with black spots) varieties are considered suitable for the production of handicrafts. For plaited work, only apus bamboo is suitable due to its fine fibers, which are stronger and more durable when compared to other varieties of bamboo.

apus bamboo is not expensive. Instead, it can easily be obtained from the village's surrounding areas at a price of Rp 1,000 per two bamboo stems.

"The apus bamboo is not very susceptible to attack by mites. But to make it stronger, you can submerge it in water before using it," said Buang Wariyono, a 30-year-old craftsman, who has now started a similar business in Denpasar, Bali.

These bamboo products are marketed not only in Indonesia, but also abroad. The main markets for the handicrafts include Bandung, Jakarta and Bali and reach as far afield as Australia, Belgium, Canada, Holland, Korea, Singapore and the United States.

And as part of the effort to expand their market, Gintangan's handicraft entrepreneurs have actively participated in numerous exhibitions and are constantly distributing promotional literature. Some are now even using the Internet to promote their products.

However, the village's businessmen tend to concentrate more on their products rather than improving their facilities, such as showrooms. Most of them are also still dependent on direct selling and wait for the customers to come. As a result, whenever they receive a large order, they find themselves forced to rush in order to meet the deadline.