AS we enter the peak production period for oil palm in September, lasting till December, the industry is grappling with the issue of an acute labour shortage.
While the labour issue has been the bane of the industry for many years, it is set to take a turn for the worse amid the peak season, the freeze on the intake of new workers, and the difficulty in recruiting such workers due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prior to the coronavirus episode, the labour-intensive oil palm sector was already facing a shortage of about 36,000 workers, of which 31,000 were harvesters or palm fruit collectors in the estates.
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