Japanese grass turned into stunning handicrafts

By R. Agus Bakti

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Harmada, a grass that is native to Japan, does not only grow in its country of origin but also in a Central Java village, where it is flourishing.

The grass is cultivated because of its versatility and economic value.

"Almost all of its parts can be utilized, just like a coconut tree," explained Nurdi Agus Santana, 34, who cultivates the grass in Melikan village, Wedi, Klaten.

Nurdi, a private college graduate, said he got the seeds from a friend two years ago. He has planted this beautiful grass, bearing the scientific name Sorghum bicolor, on a five-hectare land.

Initially there were doubts whether the grass could be cultivated successfully but those doubts have since been put to rest.

Nurdi has put a lot of effort to add value to the grass stalks. For example, he has successfully turned its malai (straw) into an assortment of handicrafts.

Today Nurdi employs about 100 people.

"I have recruited all of them from this village," said Nurdi who is also the village's chief.

In Japan, the straw of the harmada is made into brooms, or snow brooms as it is popularly called, according to Nurdi.

With Nurdi's dexterity, the grass is not only made into brooms but also various articles such as fruit bowls, umbrella stands, newspaper racks and lamp shades. With an artful touch, the finished goods look beautiful.

Bowls made from this grass are used in wedding ceremonies as containers for dowries or simply as ornaments, he said.

What makes Nurdi proud is that his creativity and efforts to boost the quality of his work are supported by the villagers. "So, don't be surprised if we start creating dolls from this grass and not only brooms as they are doing in Japan," he said proudly.

At present, however, mostly brooms are produced. Every month he produces about 6,000 brooms.

According to the Melikan villagers these brooms are expensive as they can cost Rp 17,500 each - with that money one can buy three ordinary brooms. But the market is not here. They are exported to Japan and some other countries.

The marketing is done by an exporter in Bogor.

The other handicrafts cost between Rp 10,000 and Rp 50,000.

Nurdi said that the brooms can yield about Rp 10.5 million per month, this excludes revenue from sales of the other crafts.

The harmada can also thrive on less fertile land.In fact it can be planted on any sort of soil. The beauty of it is that once planted, you can harvest it two or three times and the grass can be harvested in two months.

The method of planting harmada is also simple, by planting its seed but never together with corn or wheat.

During harvesting, the fibrous stalks are cut 30 centimeters long. They are then dried under the sun for two or three days. It's these straws that are converted into the various crafts. The seeds of this grass, which are separated from the stalks after harvesting, can be used as a substitute for rice or flour. The leaves can be used as fodder and the unused sections of the stalks can be turned into paper pulp.

Nurdi enjoys discovering different uses for the grass. His wife Lilik Endang, a medical doctor who graduated from Gadjah Mada University, backs her husband's experiments in using the seeds to make various types of food such as biscuits and cendol (a drink prepared from rice flour noodles mixed with brown sugar and coconut milk).

Several institutions such as Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta Agricultural Institute, Green Leaf non-governmental organization and other NGOs have established cooperation with him, either in plant research or craft design development.