BOKETAN BOKETAN

BASUREK BASUREK


MELATI SUSUN

BATIK Pekalongan long been exported to several countries, including Singapore, Thailand, and the United States. So famous batik from Pekalongan, Central Java, so this kind of batik does not stop just a result of economic activity, but also has become a tourist icon.
Pekalongan batik became very distinctive because it relies entirely on hundreds of small businesses, rather than on a handful of large capital entrepreneurs. Since many years ago until now, most of the production process of batik pekalongan done in homes.
As a result, batik Pekalongan closely integrated with community life Pekalongan now divided into two administrative regions, namely the City and County Pekalongan Pekalongan, Central Java. Batik is a breath of life pekalongan everyday citizens Pekalongan. He lived citizen support and Pekalongan.

However, as with small and medium businesses in Indonesia, batik business pekalongan are now facing a transition period. The development of an increasingly complex world and the emergence of new competitors, such as Vietnam, Malaysia and China challenge Pekalongan batik industry to quickly transform itself into a more modern direction.
Failed through this transition period, batik Pekalongan may only be remembered by future generations the history books.
Fathiyah A Kadir, a businessman in Pekalongan batik, say, in the early 1970s almost all workers in pekalongan batik business units are farmers. "So, they batik artisans and farmers," he said.
At that time, the pattern of batik artisans work is still greatly affected the agricultural cycle. We take the plant or harvest rice, they are fully working in the fields. However, between the planting and harvest, they work entirely as batik artisans.
"The atmosphere was tinged spirit of communality, the spirit of family," revealed that women entrepreneurs.
Pekalongan Batik other craftsmen, Khusnul Khotimah say, what pekalongan batik industry faces today is probably the same problem faced by other industries in Indonesia, especially those based on small and medium entrepreneurs.
The issue was, among other things, a decline in competitiveness as indicated by the product selling price is higher than the selling price of similar products produced by other countries. In fact, the quality of the product resulted better than competitor products Indonesian businessmen.
The cause of this problem varies, ranging from low productivity and skills of workers, lack of initiative entrepreneurs to innovate products, to support machine tools olds production process.
Tighter competition conditioned medium to small businesses improve performance, while improving the quality of the products they produce. The old paradigm is often pointed to the demands of improving the welfare of workers as scapegoats swelling of production.
This paradigm ignores the good work quality or creativity to produce innovative products out of the welfare workers and workers who do their job quietly.
To survive in the increasingly tight competition, pekalongan batik entrepreneurs should adopt a new paradigm in managing their businesses. As implied in the view presented Totok.
"Product quality is determined by the workers. Employee benefit programs, like Social Security, a very helpful employee empowerment," he said.
Only be based on the benefits of low wage workers have had to be abandoned Indonesian businessmen, including batik entrepreneurs pekalongan. Be based on the unique advantages of the products also seem to have to be abandoned.
"We increasingly severe competition. Imagine, when I visited Bangkok, I saw that Thailand is now also capable of making batik is much better than we produce," said Totok.
FOR pekalongan batik entrepreneurs, enter the year 2004 is entering a time of difficulty. Pekalongan batik demand from all sides in Indonesia dropped drastically. Kodi batik Berkodi-stacked in place because of sluggish demand workmanship.
"As the financial crisis in 1997, was struck by batik pekalongan cloth prices. However, the impact of cloth prices could simply export sales offset by a favorable pekalongan batik because the rupiah plunge against the U.S. dollar. This condition is different from now. The rate the rupiah was relatively stable, but demand is very sluggish, "said Director of Wholesale Markets Setono, Pekalongan, Hasanuddin.
A number of batik traders in the wholesale market pointed general elections (elections) in 2004 as a cause of declining sales turnover of batik pekalongan to 50 percent. Argument, the delay due to travel to pekalongan wait until completion of the 2004 election campaign.
However, for Hasanuddin, sluggish sales pekalongan batik is closely related to people's purchasing power decline. The reason, if the sluggish sales of batik pekalongan 2004 election only because, of course orders outside batik from Pekalongan, such as Makassar and Surabaya, is relatively not experienced a decline because people do not need to travel to Pekalongan.
"Employers are always oriented batik sell their products outside the town is now a gang selling in Pekalongan. It is characterized by strong demand in wholesale markets stalls," Hasanuddin said.
However, the effort seems to still not helping. Batik piles remained unsold at the place of production. Therefore, from about 100 businesses in the area of District batik Buaran, for example, about 25 percent of whom already dismiss workers. "Sales jammed. How they can continue production?" Hasanuddin said.
Pekalongan Redupnya batik business, according to Hasanuddin, also marked by the growing number of tenants in the market stalls Wholesale Setono paying rent with a blank check. This is almost never encountered in the past.
"In fact, the stall tenant considered large employers and the value of the rent to be paid fairly small, only USD 1 million to Rp 2 million. I think that, under normal conditions, not classified as entrepreneurs may well established enough to do this," Hasanuddin said again.
However, sensitive to market demands and respond in the form of batik entrepreneurs proven innovation pekalongan, Rusdiyanto, who managed to save his business from the exposure to the crisis. "If only I did not start the production of pineapple fiber batik three years ago, my batik business may also dismiss employees now," said the man was in his place of business of District Setono, Pekalongan, the.
Batik produced pineapple fiber Rusdiyanto was not affected by exposure to the crisis. Price pekalongan batik cloth with a pineapple fiber length and width of 2.56 meters 1.15 meters able to reach USD 1.5 million to Rp 3 million. Therefore, people who buy this type of batik their course with the financial condition of an almost untouched crisis strikes.
In fact, today admitted Rusdiyanto difficult to fulfill orders. "Batik my pineapple fiber production never accumulate. Just so, buyers rushed to Jakarta or Singapore," he said.
According Totok Parwoto, pineapple fiber batik prices in Jakarta rose many times more than when prices were still in Pekalongan. "Pineapple fiber fabric batik in Pekalongan which cost USD $ 3 million to reach USD $ 7 million in Jakarta," he said.
Batik pineapple fiber has a high price because the supply of pineapple fiber cloth is still very little. Currently employers pineapple fiber batik in Pekalongan depends only on two pineapple fiber fabric suppliers, namely from Pemalang District and from the Pekalongan Radika Factory.
At least producers of pineapple fiber cloth caused difficulty level is high enough in the process of pineapple fiber spinning into yarn, which then woven into cloth. Whereas, in Pemalang, especially in Sub Belik, abundance of pineapple plants.
In addition, the price of pineapple fiber batik cloth is very expensive for this type of batik silk combined with fiber. Actually, batik silk itself is classified as an expensive batik. "Not to mention the pineapple fiber batik is done by hand or included batik. One month, I am only one worker produces one pineapple fiber batik cloth," said Rusdiyanto.
Innovation committed Rusdiyanto not limited to the use of pineapple fiber. This batik entrepreneurs to innovate in the motif. "I use ancient pekalongan batik motif," he said.
Pekalongan ancient batik motif is used as the motif batik pekalongan first appeared. This motif is usually shaped Dutch army or Dutch people with all its attributes. In fact, it is not unusual motif also illustrates the tank.
Rusdiyanto colors used as well as batik pekalongan color first appeared, namely the natural color, like brown or red brick. In contrast to the color of batik pekalongan now, which is called the ngejreng color. "Pineapple fiber batik cloth with ancient motifs and colors of nature was so fond of buyers from overseas," he said.(Abdurrahman)