For REGENCY PROFILE/July 23

For REGENCY PROFILE/July 23

Home to export-oriented handicraft products

There are several outstanding industrial centers in Bantul regency, particularly in small-scale undertakings and popular handicrafts. For example, the earthenware and ceramics centers in Kasongan and Pundong, leather goods in Manding, wood carving and wood batik in Pajangan, and batik in Imogiri and Pandak.

Wooden furniture, meanwhile, is made and sold in virtually every village. These centers provide numerous employment opportunities for locals.

On a larger scale, an industrial estate has been developed in Piyungan district. The governor of the Yogyakarta Special Province has given his approval for the establishment of this estate by virtue of his decision No. 143/3446/2002. To date two leather-processing companies have invested in this estate.

As many as 22,570 people are employed in the industrial and handicraft sector. Most of them, however, are laborers enjoying only a small added value, as the bigger part of this added value goes to the brokers and merchants.

But efforts continue to boost production and the added value of small and medium-scale industrial undertakings, by means of a program to promote the growth of household and small and medium- scale industrial enterprises. This will be done through loans, the diversification of products optimizing the regional investment agency, the development of small-scale industries, credit monitoring, as well as a study for the preparation of the construction of warehouses in the industrial estate.

There is also a program to improve the technological capability of small-scale industrial and handicraft undertakings, with the provision of technical guidance and training, enhanced treatment of the waste of small and medium-scale industries, the promotion of industrial and handicraft products through the Internet and road shows, and the construction of craft centers to provide information for the marketing of industrial products.

In general, industrial enterprises in the Bantul regency are small-scale industrial and handicraft undertakings, with the number of large-scale industrial enterprises still small.

According to data from 2000 on the number of businesses in each type of industry, in respect to the metal and mechanical industrial centers, there were 17 business units for jewelry, scales, ironworks, kitchen knives, welding and metal and wooden crafts, with a total investment of some Rp 180 million. And there were 1,246 business units in the category of small-scale industrial enterprises for roof tiles, floor tiles, earthenware vessels and ceramics, with investment totaling Rp 572 million.

Meanwhile, there were 251 business units with a total investment of Rp 143 million in the handicraft industry, including batik, kain songket (cloths embroidered with bits of gold or silver thread), garment making, embroidery, leather goods, decorative inlaid work, woodcraft and kris-making.

As for industrial enterprises based on agricultural and forest products, such as those making tofu, krecek (buffalo skin processed for eating), geplak (Central Javanese sweet cake), emping mlinjo (chips made of Gnetum gnemon), beancake, coconut oil, coconut palm sugar, krupuk (chips made of flour flavored with fish or shrimp), cassava chips, crispy chips made of beancake, cassava starch and kue satu (sweet cookies that melt when put into the mouth), there are 590 business units with investment totaling over Rp 335 million.

Decorative inlaid work

Decorative inlaid work is an outstanding craft in the Bantul regency. There are two centers for this craft, namely in Wukirsari village, Imogiri district, and in Bangunjiwo village in Kasihan district.

Wukirsari, a village some 17 kilometers to the south of Yogyakarta, comprises 16 hamlets and has a population of 15,300.

About 75 percent of the villagers are craftsmen or inlaid decoration makers. In this village, inlaid decoration is a craft that has been practiced since 1918.

The craftsmen have developed a great variety of inlaid decorative designs for leather puppets, lamp shades, fans, calligraphy, partitions, visiting cards and many kinds of household utensils and souvenirs. Some 60 percent of the products are exported to among other countries Greece, Turkey, Japan and Singapore.

Another center for this inlaid decoration work is in Gendeng hamlet, Bangunjiwo village, Kasihan district, some seven kilometers to the southwest of Yogyakarta, or to be exact, some three km to the west of Kasongan, the earthenware craft center.

Bangunjiwo has a population of 18,500 people, most of whom work in 52 inlaid decoration craft units, making similar products as found in Wukirsari. Most of the products are also exported, to the United States, Australia and France, among others.

Earthenware

Kasongan earthenware craft centers are found in Kasongan hamlet, Bangunjiwo village, Kasihan district, and also in Pundong. About 85 percent of the products are now exported. Tourists are very fond of the designs of Kasongan and Pundong products, a reason why these centers are also known as tourist hamlets.

Aside from the creatively innovative designs, Kasongan and Pundong earthenware vessels have gained great popularity because the earth used in their creation is of excellent quality and the workmanship is professional. The earth is given enough heating to ensure that the earthenware products can withstand very cold or hot weather.

Domestic and foreign tourists generally come to Kasongan on Sundays and on holidays, as it is only about five kilometers to the west of Yogyakarta. Because the earthenware products, now no longer confined to household, enjoy strong demand they are suited to market tastes. Luckily, a number of artists and cultural activists have also improved the skills of the local craftsmen in terms of design and workmanship, a reason why most earthenware products are now of export quality.

Woodcraft

Woodcraft centers are found in Krebet hamlet, Sendangsari village, Pajangan district, and also in Pucung hamlet, Pendowoharjo village, Sewon district. In Krebet there are nine craftsmen with 132 laborers, while in Pucung hamlet there are 31 craftsmen with 318 laborers.

Most of the products are exported, and some are dispatched to Bali, Jakarta and other regions across the country. Total woodcraft production in Krebet is valued at Rp 1.95 billion annually, while in Pucung it is Rp 6.5 billion.

These woodcraft products include, among others, wooden puppets of various kinds. These craftsmen also make masks from gambier or limestone, as well as wooden masks with batik coloring. The wood used varies from sengon, pule jaranan or mango wood, and comes from many areas. The products are exported to, among others, Holland, France and Canada.