Pekalongan Batik Makers Continue to Maintain Quality and Creativity

Pekalongan - The weakening of the rupiah against the US dollar has caused raw material prices for batik crafts in Pekalongan City — particularly fabric — to rise. Artisans have been forced to take various measures to preserve both product quality and business continuity.

Miladia Huda, owner of Batik Blonteng, stated that the increase in fabric prices is one of the factors that most significantly affects batik production costs.

Several raw materials that still rely on the international market require business owners to adapt to dynamic global economic conditions.

“What we feel the most is the rise in fabric prices. Many production components are still influenced by the international market, so when the dollar strengthens, production costs also increase,” said Huda on Wednesday (10/6/2026), as reported by pekalongankota.go.id.

She noted that dye prices have not been significantly affected. However, the continuous increase in fabric prices — from Rp 30,000 to Rp 40,000 per piece — has had a major impact on production costs.

Although profits have fallen by up to 40 percent due to higher production costs, batik entrepreneurs remain committed to maintaining the quality of their products.

“We are implementing design innovation, production efficiency, and better stock management to ensure the business remains sustainable without compromising product quality,” she explained.

A similar view was shared by Krisnowati, a natural-dye batik artisan from Batik Banjir. According to her, batik producers are now being more selective in their production, adjusting to market demand and customer orders.

“For the time being, we are focusing more on fulfilling incoming orders so that production continues smoothly and quality is maintained,” she said.

Krisnowati remains optimistic that Pekalongan’s batik industry will continue to survive and grow, supported by increasing public appreciation for local products.

She also hopes for stronger availability of domestically sourced raw materials, allowing the national batik industry to become more self-reliant and better equipped to face global economic challenges.

“As one of the icons of Indonesia’s creative economy and a national cultural heritage, Pekalongan batik is believed to maintain strong competitiveness through its quality, creativity, and the perseverance of its artisans in preserving batik’s presence in both national and international markets,” she added.