TEMPO Interactive,Slawi:Tegal’s traditional broom exports to Japan have doubled to meet demand from the disaster-stricken country.
“We are sending four containers per month to Japan,” Ismi Juliani, broom company CV Kembar Bina Usaha’s Production head, told Tempo yesterday. Each container contains 9,000 brooms.
Besides Japan, Tegal’s traditional brooms made of sorgum plant are also exported to Thailand and the US. However, Ismi said, the demand in the two countries was not as much as Japan’s.
The high demand, Ismi continued, had overwhelmed her company due to the lack of manpower and raw materials. The business she has managed for 30 years ago uses sorgum seed from Japan. She planted the seeds in some areas in Tegal, but for the last year, production has decreased due to high rainfall.
Udin Zaenudin, the Tegal Regional House of Representatives’ (DPRD) Commission II chief, called on the Tegal regency government to immediately respond to this. “This concerns manpower absorption and lowering unemployment rate,” said Udin.
He called on the Agriculture and Trade Offices in Tegal to guide sorgum farmers who have been actively planting the raw material. “The business is in line with the regional government’s program which intends to improve the trade and agriculture sectors,” said Udin.
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