VITAL TO ADOPT MECHANISATION
TECHNOLOGY and innovation are crucial to ensuring the competitiveness of the nation’s oil palm industry in the global market.
Hence, the adoption of mechanisation and automation is vital at oil palm plantations, which are currently facing a critical labour shortage.
The plantation sector is among the economic sectors dependent on labour to carry out their operations, including harvesting and collecting the fresh fruit bunches (FFBs).
The Malaysian Palm Oil Board’s (MPOB) research into mechanisation has led to the development of more than 40 machines for adoption by the oil palm plantation sector.
Among the technologies adopted by the sector so far are the harvesting machine called Cantas, in-field transporter (Grabber, Motorcycle Trailer, Beluga) and loose fruit collectors.
The emphasis on mechanisation is also meant to encourage the involvement of locals in oil palm plantations, which has been plagued by the “3D” stigma — dangerous, dirty and difficult.
MPOB is continuously collaborating with industry players to prioritise research and cater to the needs of the industry.
To this end, they have proposed the formation of the Mechanisation and Automation Research Consortium of Oil Palm (Marcop).
Marcop’s objective is to enhance research and development and commercialisation at the national level.
The new entity, which will be launched soon, aims to improve mechanisation technology and
its adoption.
This is expected to optimise operational efficiency and harvesting of FFBs, and address the issue of labour shortage in the oil palm plantations.
The consortium will focus on the latest technologies such as drones, robotics, augmented reality, sensors and big data for integrated and systematic operations.
Marcop will be mandated to develop viable technologies to resolve the oil palm industry’s prolonged issues and challenges.
Its main focus area will be on harvesting technology, especially on tall palms, so as to reduce dependence on labour and attract more locals into the sector.
Meanwhile, the additional cess collection of RM2 per tonne imposed on crude palm oil and crude palm kernel oil, effective March 1, will be first channelled to Marcop.
The RM30 million cess collection for Marcop will complement the RM30 million allocation provided by the government through matching grants to encourage the industry’s investment in mechanisation and automation, as announced in the 2021 Budget.
Hence, the government’s move to raise the cess to RM16 per tonne should be well received by industry players as it will enhance the technological competitiveness of the country’s oil palm industry.
The implementation of the new cess rate is apt in view of the bullish crude palm oil price (CPO) price this year.
The CPO was above RM3,000 per tonne early this year and is projected to be on the uptrend due to the favourable market sentiment.
The CPO price surged to a record RM4,247.50 per tonne on Monday and has potential to continue its uptrend based on the favourable market sentiment, declining stockpile, rising export demand and strengthening of soyabean oil price.
The emphasis on mechanisation is also meant to encourage the involvement of locals in oil palm plantations, which has been plagued by the ‘3D’ stigma — dangerous, dirty and difficult.