Indonesian silk finds smooth road to Nigeria

Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Nelson Mandela makes Indonesians proud when he wears batik. And the 1993 Nobel laureate for peace has a fine collection, judging by the batik shirts he has sported over the years.

But many would be surprised that Mandela's fashion statement -- particularly his preference for silk batiks in bright colors and bold patterns -- has done the country a big favor.

Last year, Indonesia exported an impressive US$7.5 million worth of around 1,000 tons of noil silk to Nigeria alone, not to mention other African countries.

Noil silk export to Nigeria has played a great role in multiplying Indonesia's total export of silk products by about 1,064 percent to $9.5 million last year from a mere $812,956 the previous year.

Djadin C. Djamaludin, the Indonesian Textile Association's handicraft committee head, told The Jakarta Post recently that batik has been a growing trend in Africa, particularly those made of silk-based fabrics.

"It is a trend now in Africa. Mandela's batik clothes are made of silk," he said.

Nigeria is importing silk batik as well as plain silk fabrics, he said, adding that the Africans would print the plain silk fabrics themselves.

"Maybe they are producing batik to be sold all over the continent from North to South," he said.

Djadin said that Nigerians prefer noil silk to "real silk" as it is significantly cheaper.

Noil is the short fiber removed during the combing of a textile fiber, in this case silk.

"Noil silk is cheaper considering its second-grade origin, but demand is high because it still bears the (silk) name," he said.

Djadin said as the world demand for silk and noil silk is increasing, the government should put more effort into developing the natural fiber industry here, including silk.

"The government has done very little to develop the country's natural fiber self-sufficiency," he said.

Indonesia's number one export continues to be textiles and clothing, but the country imported 98 percent of its cotton -- the main material for the export products -- because it could not supply its own natural materials, including silk.

The country has imported 70 percent of its demand for silk -- mostly from China -- over the last decade. The imported silk is a threat to local producers, as its average price is only Rp 22,000 (US$2.3) per meter, while local silk is priced at Rp 60,000 per meter on average.

Indonesia's top silk producers are located in South Sulawesi, West Java and Central Java.

The country's leaders must work harder to promote domestically produced batik.

Mandela has shown that a simple action, like wearing batik, can have a wide effect, moving the economies of African countries, and also influencing Indonesia.