Labour shortage in plantations needs attention

High cost: A worker arranging palm oil fruit bunches in Tanjung Karang. The shortage of workers will lead to a productivity loss if left unchecked. ─ Reuters

PETALING JAYA: The shortage of workers in the plantation sector has taken a turn for the worse, almost doubling to about 70,000 so far this year from 36,000 last year, says the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA).

Its chief executive officer Datuk Nageeb Wahab (pic below) said: “The acute shortage in the estates is now felt across the board, from big plantation companies to the smallholders.”