‘Foreign workers critical to reap palm oil profits now’

KUANTAN: With Indonesia’s halt on its palm olein export being seen as a boon to local planters, the need for foreign workers to work in plantations have become more crucial especially in Pahang.

Khairul Azwat Muhamad, 40, said this was a golden opportunity for smallholders such as himself and also operators of larger estates.

“Palm oil prices look to be good right now and may increase with this development. It is at this point where foreign workers are important in helping us harvest and move the produce,” he said.

Khairul, who owns a 2.4ha plantation in Muadzam Shah, Rompin, said he was looking to hire two to three foreign workers at the moment.

“Individual smallholders like me do not need that many workers to run our plantations effectively. I understand that larger estates and also Felda plantations may face bigger difficulties when it comes to getting enough foreign labour,” he said.

Khairul said to deal with this problem, the government should allow more foreign workers skilled in the agriculture sector to come as a boost to the palm oil industry.

Smallholder Ahmad Sukri Hassan, 40, said prices were currently at about RM1,300 per tonne and might increase with the current situation in Indonesia.

“I think it is times like these where we should take advantage of the situation.

More foreign workers will be especially handy at this moment to help us increase production,” said Ahmad, who owns an 8ha plantation plot in Lipis.

Likewise, he urged the government to bring in more foreign workers so that plantations would not be left unattended.