PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. GARUT - The West Java Province Trade Industry Service (Disperindag) held a Joint Promotion event for One Century of Garut Leather at the Garut Leather Industry Development Service Unit (Satpel) Office, Thursday (13/6/2024).

This activity was officially opened by the Chair of the West Java Province Regional National Crafts Council (Dekranasda) Amanda Soemadi Bey Machmudin, attended by the Chair of the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Dekranasda Lale Prayatni Gita Ariadi, Deputy Chair of Commission II of the West Java Province DPRD Lina Ruslinawati, Acting Regent Garut Barnas Adjidin, Chair of the Garut Regency Dekranasda Sri Kartika Barnas Adjidin, and other invited guests.

The event featured an expo for Small and Medium Industries (IKM) in the leather sector by displaying various Garut leather products. Apart from that, there was also a fashion show for Garut leather products, displaying clothing and accessories made from Garut leather.

Acting Regent of Garut Barnas Adjidin stated that a century is not a short time. He said the leather industry in Garut Regency had experienced many ups and downs and was now showing extraordinary development.

"Well, of course we face various obstacles that we feel, even though they are quite difficult, we have to face them, and we know that our leather production has gone overseas, even if we see that our leather is number 1 leather, and we also want this to continue. to be something to rely on," he said.

He explained that Garut leather products have participated in fashion exhibitions in various countries such as America and Italy, and have collaborated with Korea, Japan and Germany, showing that Garut leather products have gone international.

In Garut, continued Barnas, there are around 417 formal and informal business units that market Garut leather products, as well as around 3,500 workers who work in the leather sector. Barnas also said that Garut had exported 50 thousand pieces of jackets and 200 thousand pieces of connected leather abroad.

"We have already produced 50 thousand pieces of jackets, then 200 thousand pieces of connected leather have gone abroad, which means this is not just a joke, not fake, but an extraordinary achievement, therefore let's support the leather trade and also improve quality," he said.

Barnas also sees that currently people are starting to pay more attention to leather, and he also appreciates the youth in Garut Regency who are starting to play a role in the leather sector.

"Well, I'm sure that tomorrow the world of leather will develop very quickly, because fashion has become a human need," he said.

Head of the Department of Industry and Trade of West Java Province, Noneng Komara Nengsih, said that the Joint Promotion of One Century of Garut Leather was an effort to preserve the processed Garut leather products which were once successful in their time and to promote the Garut Leather Industry Development Unit, where there are services in the leather sector. at affordable prices, which can be utilized by SMEs, with the hope of increasing productivity and the quality of leather industry products in Garut Regency.

"And on this occasion we are proud, even though it may be very simple, we hope this will be the first step towards the revival of the leather industry in Garut Regency," he said.