Malaysian palm oil farmers face labour crunch
Ijok, Malaysia - Overripe palm oil fruits hang untouched in trees while others lie rotting scattered around a plantation, as Malaysian farmers reap the bitter harvest of a severe labour shortage.
The tropical country is the world’s second-biggest producer of the edible vegetable oil, which is found in many everyday goods from chocolate to cosmetics.
The sector has long been reliant on migrants from neighbouring Indonesia for back-breaking plantation work, which is shunned by most in more affluent Malaysia.
Lengthy border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic had already reduced the foreign labour force, but now bureaucratic hurdles and a ban by Indonesia on sending new workers have dramatically worsened the problems.
“A lot of bunches of fruit are rotting on the trees,” Suzaidee Rajan, 47, who owns a 300-acre plantation in Ijok, central Selangor state, told AFP.
“We usually harvest twice a month. But now due to the labour shortage, we can (do so) just once a month. Our income has plunged and locals are angry.”
With just four foreign workers - two fewer than the number he needs - Suzaidee now has to drive into his plantation and load the fruit onto a lorry himself.
Palm oil is a controversial commodity, blamed by environmentalists for fuelling the destruction of rainforest in Malaysia and Indonesia, which together produce 85 per cent of global output.
Green groups say rapid expansion of plantations has destroyed rare animals’ habitats, while there have been allegations of foreign workers being abused and mistreated on some estates.
The sector nevertheless remains a major contributor to Malaysia’s economy, and has continued to attract foreign workers who can earn higher wages than back home.
Agricultural firms run large estates, while there are also numerous small-scale farmers like Suzaidee.
Other Malaysian industries, including construction and manufacturing, also rely on migrant workers from across Asia, and suffered as a result of lengthy pandemic border closures.