Bali bombing brings effect to wood carvers

DENPASAR (indo.com): Sale of wooden handicrafts in Bali dropped by nearly 80% in November and December due to the drastic decline in the number of visitors and handicraft buyers to the island after the Bali bombing.

Antara News reported that Bali's wood carvers require at least 400 cubic tons of wood each year to meet the world's demand for their products. Of that, only 40% can be supplied by timber sources on the island, with the remaining 60%, shipped in from the neighboring islands of Java, Borneo and Sulawesi.

Tight raw material supplies experienced over the past years were aided, at least in part, by a Government regulation introduced in June of last year prohibiting the export of gelondongan wood to neighboring Malaysia. This increased the supply of wood available to Bali wood carvers.

The wood products, carved by local craftsmen into artificial flowers, fruits, household accessories, and statues represent a major component in Bali's economy. Total carved wooden exports for the period January - November 2002 are estimated to equal US$ 75.2 million, an increase of 22% over the same period in 2001.