JP/18/PUNDNG

JP/18/PUNDNG

Pundong seeks to recapture past ceramics glory

Singgir Kartana
Contributor/Bantul, Yogyakarta

Until about five years ago, the Pundong subdistrict of Bantul, in
Yogyakarta province, was very popular for its ceramics.

About 200 ceramics centers were in operation there, with about
5,000 artisans working in the sector.

Many, however, have now stopped for a variety of reasons, and
only 50 remain. Even these artisans do not produce items every
day, and their production volume is not as great as before.

Many of the larger players have stopped production altogether.
Artisans' earnings have dropped significantly as a consequence,
and many have lost their jobs and been forced to switch to other
occupations.

Poniman, 47, who started his business in 1992, says that for
the last two years business has continued to decline. His sales
have dropped by 60 percent. Previously, he produced about 4,000
items a month worth about Rp 20 million, but now he only receives
orders worth less than Rp 5 million a month.

"I had 60 employees working with me two years ago. Now there
are only 10 left," says Poniman of Bodowaluh hamlet.

Dasilan, 57, a craftsman from Jetis hamlet, has had the same
experience. He has received no orders at all for the last seven
months and has been forced to let go his 12 employees. As
recently as two years ago he routinely received orders worth at
least Rp 5 million a month.

"There was a time when almost all the villagers here worked in
the ceramics sector. Now less than half of us remain. All this
has been due to decreasing markets," says Dasilan, who has now
turned to farming.

Muktar, 45, who was once considered one of the most successful
ceramic producers in Pundong, has had a much more tragic
experience. Starting up in 1989, he never imagined before that he
would experience times as tough as they are at present.

During the good times sales were up to Rp 1 billion per
semester. He employed over 300 artisans and workers in his
center. He also opened showrooms for displaying his varied
products. But all that was gone by 2002.

"Of course, many other smaller producers have had a similar
experience," said Muktar of Tulung hamlet, sadly.

The ceramics "kings" of Pundong have had their moment. Besides
Muktar and Dasilan, many other names were once considered
successful and senior in the business. These include Mujiono,
also of Tulung hamlet, the owner of Bina Citra Ceramic Poniman
and Mudiyar of Mudiyar Ceramic.

Attempts have been made to improve business opportunities in
Pundong. The local Bantul regency government has even built an
asphalt road to connect the regental capital with the villages,
an art market and a training center in Panjangrejo village.

Pundong, too, was then declared a tourist resort of specific
interest. In 2003, the industry and trade office also provided
the region with a gas-fired ceramics kiln worth some Rp 100
million.

That was not all. Promotion was also done via the Internet on
the www.bantul.com website. The village administration also
offered artisans training in ceramics making. That was apart from
participation in exhibitions to directly introduce Pundong's
ceramic products to buyers and traders.

Yet, it all seems to have made little difference to the
improvement of the ceramics business in the region. The
facilities provided by the government have fallen into disrepair.

The kiln, for example, is not used. Locals cannot make use of
it because the gas to run it is too expensive.

The Rp 200 million art market, too, is left unused. It's dirty
and locals usually make use of the site to dry wood or rice under
the sun. The condition of the training center, similarly, is
equally as bad. It is not functioning and is unkempt.

"It now has turned into a nest for tokek (house lizards),"
said Dasilan, who lives near the art market.

Some, however, have denied that the ceramics business in
Pundong is declining. Panjangrejo village secretary Joko Irianto,
for example, says that business is booming: Products have even
been sent abroad.

"I've been told that many of the centers here have been
routinely receiving orders," he said.

Muktar, however, refutes this, saying that most players are
involved in only a small part of the whole ceramics process. The
quantity, too, is not as great and the prices are low. They deal
with local traders who then send them half-finished products to
other artisans for completion.

"They are forced to accept such orders because they have
nothing else to do to support themselves. They'd rather not be
completely unemployed," Muktar explains.

A lack of proper marketing management skills among producers
so far have been blamed for the declining ceramics industry in
Pundong. The majority of producers lack marketing skills.

As a result, marketing mostly depends very much on the
existence of local traders or brokers that buy half-finished
products cheaply, to be finished elsewhere and then sold at a
marked-up price to foreign buyers using the famous name of
Pundong ceramics.

"Unfortunately, if they asked for more, local traders would
place their orders with producers from outside Pundong or to new
Pundong producers who undercut them," Suparjo of Panjangrejo
village administration office said.

Widiyanto, 38, a former ceramics producer who has now switched
to selling, agrees, adding that the situation in Pundong was
rather complex. Local traders act like a cartel. They can easily
move to another place or, sometimes, establish smaller production
centers in neighboring villages, turning out cheaper products.

"The continued existence of ceramics in Pundong owes more to
centers producing traditional earthenware products," Widiyanto
said.

Most ceramics producers in Pundong suggest that marketing
middle-men should be bypassed if the government really wants to
help revive the business in the region.

That, too, would also free them from grasping local traders
and brokers. It would create a better opportunity for them to
directly introduce their ceramics to foreign buyers.