The Industry Ministry believes that the national handicraft and batik industry can adapt and survive amid the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“This sector is also considered capable of supporting the recovery of the national economy, especially in the Small and Medium Industry (IKM) sector,” Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita stated during the commemoration of the 2021 National Batik Day in Yogyakarta on Wednesday.
The fact is reflected through the contribution of the batik industry to foreign exchange through export achievements in 2020, reaching US$532.7 million. In the first quarter of 2021, the export value of batik products had reached US$157.8 million.
Kartasasmita noted in his written statement that synergy and innovation were strategies that were proven successful in helping small and medium enterprises deal with the economic contraction due to the pandemic. Thus, his administration continues to push national batik SMEs to continue to innovate to make products in tune with market preferences.
Kartasasmita pressed for also diversifying products at the earliest and strengthening synergies between stakeholders, including the Indonesian Batik Foundation (YBI), National Craft Council (Dekranas), and associations in charge of batik and other crafts.
Head of the Standardization and Industrial Services Policy Agency (BSKJI) of the Industry Ministry Doddy Rahadi stated that the 2021 National Batik Day theme ‘”Building a Resilient Handicraft and Batik Industry in a Pandemic Period” was increasingly relevant to the current situation of the batik industry.
Rahadi pointed out that the series of activities to mark the 2021 National Batik Day comprised several activities at the National Seminar on the Handicraft and Batik Industry (SNIKB), 2021 Announcement and Facilitation of Production Materials for Tenant Innovating Jogja , Batik Workshop with people with disabilities in Yogyakarta, and an online Ngoppi (Inspirational Morning Chat) event from September to November.
The National Seminar on the Handicraft and Batik Industry served as a forum for researchers, engineers, industry players, and academics to publish research results related to handicrafts and batik, as well as to provide discussion forums for all stakeholders in the craft and batik industry.
The Innovating Jogja activity is an annual agenda of the Standardization and Industrial Services Policy Agency through collaboration among the Center for Optimizing the Utilization of Industrial Technology and Industrial Services Policy, the BKSJI Secretariat, and the Center for Crafts and Batik (BBKB) for supporting the growth of new industrial entrepreneurs, who innovate in the fields of handicrafts and batik.
On the other hand, the Batik Workshop for people with disabilities was hosted on October 6, 2021, with 100 participants from four districts and cities in DIY. The event was conducted to preserve batik and edify people with special needs or people with disabilities.
Moreover, the Ngoppi event, carrying various relevant themes related to batik with speakers from universities, associations and the Indonesian Batik Museum, aimed at disseminating information and knowledge as well as seeking various inputs from the community, especially the industry, to improve efficiency and effectiveness as well as product innovation.
“We hope that the series of activities to commemorate the 2021 National Batik Day would continue to support the preservation of batik as a culture, which is the root of the growing craft and batik industry that has developed throughout Indonesia at this time,” Rahadi added.
Source: Antara News