East Java's bamboo handicrafts go global

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.