Plantations need to grow

Citation

(2010), "Plantations need to grow", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 59 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm.2010.07959hab.004

Plantations need to grow

Article Type: News From: International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Volume 59, Issue 8

As a leading contributor to Malaysia’s economy, the plantation sector in Sabah must give serious attention towards increasing productivity, according to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

Plantations need to implement measures that could lead to a long-term rise in productivity such as investing in research and development of new planting materials, accelerating replanting activities and adopting good agricultural practices, he said.

“In the long term, implementation of these measures will ensure the steady supply of raw materials for the growing downstream value added industry in the country”, he said at the Annual Dinner of the East Malaysia Planters Association (EMPA).

Musa said Sabah has the largest oil palm areas in the country with 1.33 million hectares or 30 per cent of the total oil palm area in Malaysia. Oil palm is the backbone of the plantation sector in the country with the planted area growing from 54,000 hectares in 1960 to 4.7 million hectares last year. There is an urgent need to accelerate work on farm mechanisation to reduce the plantation industry’s dependency on foreign labour.

“We must be realistic and be prepared for future constraints in the supply of foreign labour”, he said as he urged EMPA members to adopt proactive measures in reducing labour requirements, and said that the sector must be prepared to attract locals through higher, productivity-linked wages and better facilities.