Malang joss stick producers lack capital to expand
Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post/Malang
Joss sticks in various colors are lined up neatly in the front yard of Suhendro Pangestu's house in Jedong village in Malang regency, East Java.
Several workers are busy weighing sacks containing joss sticks that will be immediately dispatched to various places of worship.
"Orders for joss sticks are quite high at the moment. My workers have to do overtime to meet the high demand," Suhendro told The Jakarta Post.
Demand for joss sticks has increases up to 100 percent during each Lunar New Year or Waisak celebration, which this year fell on Tuesday, compared to normal days. Joss stick producers can reap monthly gross profits reaching 100 percent, ranging from Rp 17 million (US$1,800) to Rp 70 million.
Besides Bali, Suhendro must also meet orders from several other cities like Surabaya, Pontianak and major cities in Sumatra. A surge in orders not only comes during Chinese New Year, but during religious celebrations, such as Galungan, Nyepi and Suro.
Orders usually increase three-fold on average during these holidays, but they are still below the sales volumes obtained during Chinese New Year.
Nonetheless, banks not inclined to provide loans to these businesses, despite the huge profits being made.
Suhendro acknowledged that banks were less willing to provide loans to joss stick producers because they only cater to the domestic market, whereas in fact, the prospects for exporting to Vietnam, Cambodia and China has considerable potential.
Another deterrent factor was the inferior quality of handmade joss sticks compared to machine-made sticks.
"A machine to produce better quality sticks is very expensive," said Suhendro.
Before sending them to Bali, the joss sticks are packed into sacks and covered with plastic sheets to prevent them from being damaged by rain.
After packaging, the sacks are weighed and then immediately transported by truck to Bali and other places.
The sticks, derived from the ribs of coconut leaves, are brought in from the cottage industry producing the sticks in Trenggalek, East Java. Suhendro orders an average of one ton of sticks per day at Rp 1,800 per kilogram.
The process of making joss sticks is quite tedious, requiring at least four days to finish. The sticks, measuring between 40 centimeters to 50 cm are first dipped in red paint.
A sticky substance made from starchy powder and fine sawdust is then applied. After that, they are dipped into caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) so that they will burn properly.
The sticks are then spread to dry for a day to make them more resistant, and a powder made of coconut shells is applied. The process is then repeated four or five times.
To make them more colorful, they are dipped in coloring agents, usually black, red, green and yellow.