Yogyakarta batik industry in tatters
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 02/17/2011 1:35 PM
Batik home industries in the Kulonprogo
area of Yogyakarta are suffering from limited capital and poor
marketing, locals say.
There used to be 230 home industries in
the area, but most of them have now closed down and now only 20
remain, metronews.com reported Thursday.
“The regional government does not
seem to care. They have paid little attention and let the businesses
die,” said Sogorin, a batik artisan.
A home industry operating in the batik
center in Gulurejo and Ngentakrejo villages in Lendah district used
to have between 12 and 25 workers, but now has less than 10.
During the heyday, artisans earned Rp
35,000 (US$3.75) for working on a 2-meter-long batik cloth, but now
the wage has dropped to Rp 15,000.
