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.