Water hyacinths nurture new cottage industry
By Maria Goretti Tamen
PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan (JP): Handicrafts can be made from plants other than traditional mainstays of bamboo and rattan.
In Sei Ambawang district, 10 kilometers from Pontianak, water hyacinth is used as the raw material for a variety of plaited goods. Activities are managed by the seven-member Sanggar Kayu Ara, a workshop led by Dominika Sandi, 55. The home industry has not been caught in the pinch of the monetary crisis which has badly affected the neighborhood.
The group buys water hyacinth roots from farmers and processes the raw material, creating finished goods that are ready to wear or use. Made to suit consumer's needs, they include baskets, bags, hats and caps, fans, flower holders, conical covers for food, souvenirs, fruit containers, jars, trays and tissue holders.
Local people have long used water hyacinth roots to make bubu (plaited fish traps), but today handicrafts provide a new income source.
Each member of Sanggar Kayu Ara can earn Rp 300,000 to Rp 400,000 monthly, although it is only a part-time job.
"It is enough to supplement my husband's income," says Dominika.
The business started in 1986. Initial funding was Rp 500,000 from the Women Farmers' Group, plus Rp 250,000 from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, for the purchase of raw materials.
Water hyacinth roots are collected from swamps or purchased from farmers. The root is soaked for about one week and dried for between three hours and four hours. It is preserved through adding hydrogen dioxide to protect it from termites and turn its color whitish.
"But even when hydrogen dioxide is not added, its color takes 10 years to fade," Yuliana, another handicraft maker, told The Jakarta Post.
Sanggar Kayu Ara only does work on order.
Finished goods range in price from Rp 400 to Rp 1,500 for a small souvenir, to Rp 23,000 to Rp 35,000 for a large basket.
Wet water hyacinth root itself costs Rp 4,500 per sack, and the dried root is Rp 6,000 per kilogram. Manufacture of one large basket needs at least seven pounds of water hyacinth root from 0.5 meters to 10 meters long.
An advantage of the material is that it is not harmful to humans or the environment, makers and buyers say.
Today the workshop faces two major obstacles: the dwindling supply of raw material and limited marketing of the finished product.
Water hyacinth has vanished from the environs of Ambawang River. Farmers now have to search for it in the Landak River, Sambih River, Retok River and Panabang River. They ride in a motor vessel, then hire a boat to reach the location. The search for the root can take several days.
Sanggar Kayu Ara worries about a shortage of supply. In line with the rapid growth of reforestation, major cultivation of hyacinth is vanishing.
"We are still dependent on nature now. But, later on, we will lack a supply of water hyacinth. We haven't found any people who are interested in water hyacinth cultivation," says M.G. Ahiong, a member of Sanggar Kayu Ara.
Every year, during the Naik Dango festival, a local harvest thanksgiving ritual, Sanggar Kayu Ara sells its products to visitors. The goods are always sold out. During the recent celebration, the workshop earned Rp 2.5 million in a relatively short period.
Kayu Ara Workshop admits to difficulty in marketing its goods. "If there are people who would like to help us in marketing, we'll be glad," Ahiong said.
Sanggar Kayu Ara often shares its skills and knowledge with youth groups and interested women in Sungai Ambawang district in Pontianak regency.
The group feels it still needs to develop its skills in processing the plants. In 1990, it conducted a comparative study in Tasikmalaya, a small town in West Java known for its handicrafts. Members also attend training. "We need to develop ourselves," says Dominika.