Malaysia farms face US$3 billion hit from palm oil worker shortage

KUALA LUMPUR: The Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has left Malaysia’s palm oil industry without enough workers, a shortage that could cost farmers as much as 25% of their annual production -- a loss worth about US$2.8 billion.

Malaysia’s economy relies on palm oil, its most important agricultural commodity, but palm oil needs migrant workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh and India to do jobs locals won’t.