Sleman handicrafts find international market

Sleman handicrafts find international market

By Singgir Kartana

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Bamboo in rural areas is most often used for
simple household articles, such as baskets and containers. Walls
are often made of sheets of plaited bamboo. Bamboo may also serve
as firewood. All these uses have hardly any economic value.

But residents of Sleman regency, particularly in the villages
of Toglengan, Malangan, Brajan, Sanan and Singojayan, some 23 kms
west of Yogyakarta, are aware that bamboo can be turned into
various handicrafts, thereby increasing its value.

There are 10 bamboo handicraft centers in the five villages.
In addition, there are craftsmen who work individually. This
industrial sector absorbs about 200 family heads.

Workers earn between Rp 5,000 and Rp 6,500 a day depending on
their experience and skill. However, most workers are paid by
piecework. Some workers say they earn about Rp 9,000 a day,
excluding a lunch allowance.

Sales are estimated at more than Rp 500 million a month. The
handicraft industry has become the economic backbone of the
community in the area.

"We can say the handicraft business is the soul of the five
villages because nearly two-thirds of the residents rely on the
business for their income," said Parijo, 35, a craftsman from
Brajan, who employs 60 workers.

Their craftsmanship is delicate and their designs artistic. A
lot of variety is found among the products. The handicraft
products tend to be souvenirs or decorative articles. A box used
to store clothes, for example, is given an oval form resembling a
ship, with delicate and artistic plait work. It is more fitting
to place the boxes in hotels or art galleries than to use them to
store clothes. Likewise, boxes to cover tissue dispensers of
various forms and sizes are suitable for decoration as art
objects.

No fewer than 200 kinds of products in various sizes and
shapes are made. Among them are fruit baskets, bags, hats, lamp
shades, storage boxes, tissue covers, miniature houses, miniature
lamps, miniature airplanes, jewelry boxes, cosmetic boxes, etc.
Nearly all the handicrafts are made with the plaiting technique.
The motifs of the plait work are varied, e.g. batik designs and
square motifs.

The price range of the handicrafts is between Rp 3,000 and Rp
200,000. The cheapest at Rp 3,000 is the tissue cover. The most
expensive price is the lampshades at Rp 200,000 each. The product
most in demand according to Kasiyam, is a shoulder bag with the
measurements of 30 cms by 45 cms by 10 cms. It is priced at Rp
50,000 a piece.

The handicrafts are marketed in Yogyakarta, Bandung, Jakarta
and Bali and exported to the Netherlands, Korea, Japan, the
United States, France, Italy, Canada, Belgium and Singapore. The
goods can be obtained by order or by direct purchase. In an
effort to develop the market network, the workers participate
actively in handicraft exhibitions. Some of them print simple
brochures.

The craftsmen do not use all kinds of bamboo for raw material.
Only the apus and wulung types are considered good for plaiting.
These two types have finer fibers, are stronger and more durable,
and are not easily prone to mildew compared to others. They are
easy to obtain in the area. The apus type, measuring six or seven
meters in length, costs Rp 2,000 to Rp 2,500, while the wulung is
of the same length but with a bigger diameter and is slightly
more expensive at Rp 3,000 to Rp 3,500.

"These two types are not easily infested by bubuk (small
insects which eat bamboo). Soaking the bamboo in water before
using it makes it more durable," said Pariyo, 56, a craftsman
from Toglengan who also teaches at grade school.

The bamboo handicraft industry in the five villages actually
started in the 1970s. The area was already known for its bamboo
products. But at the time the products were simple household
articles. These were bought by locals or traded at markets in the
area.

Only at the beginning of 1987, following guidance from the
Ministry of Industry office in Sleman regency, did a number of
craftsmen start to learn how to make souvenirs. Some of them also
received training in Jakarta. The change demanded that they
continue to improve the quality of their products because of
sharp competition. The change to export products has given them a
larger profit margin.

"One besek (square bamboo box), which costs Rp 250, requires a
piece of bamboo which can be used for making three tissue cover
boxes. At Rp 3,000 a piece, the boxes yield Rp 9,000. Making
souvenir articles is much more profitable," said Yanto, a
craftsman from Kampung Sanan.

Now the bamboo handicraft business in the area shows
considerable development. However, it is strongly regretted that
the development is based on the products. There is not enough
attention in the aspect of marketing, such as opening a showroom.
Even in marketing they still rely on middlemen. Planning the
production on a bigger scale goes together with the fear that the
products might not sell. Therefore, orders must often be carried
out in a hurry to meet a target. Industries with bamboo as their
raw material are highly dependent on the weather, too, as the
quality of bamboo is affected adversely by rain.