PLANTERS will usher in 2023 with cautious optimism as the return of foreign workers to the estates is set to prop up stagnating output amid stabilising operating costs and lower crude palm oil (CPO) prices.
However, 2023 will certainly not be a time for cherry-picking for the plantation sector, given the threat of a global economic slowdown that could lead to uncertainties affecting demand from major importing nations, potential erratic revision in tax structure and trade policies by top producer Indonesia, which could again disrupt the CPO price dynamics.