Malaysia is urged to develop an action plan to retain existing talents and appeal to a new generation of planters, as the industry faces a possible scarcity of skilled professionals. Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof highlighted the issue at the 10th International Planters Conference 2023, noting that some planters have retired or are seeking opportunities in other countries.
Fadillah, who additionally serves because the Minister of Plantation and Commodities, emphasised the necessity for teamwork find options for the industry’s survival. He talked about that the ministry has established varied platforms and mechanisms for stakeholders to share concepts, knowledge, and feedback in policy and guideline formulation. The Incorporated Society of Planters (ISP) might play an lively position on this course of, he added.
The ministry plans to introduce viable schemes and laws to make sure the adoption of necessary platform applied sciences and improve productivity by way of high-end expertise. Fadillah instructed that the Mechanisation and Automation Research Consortium of Oil Palm (MARCOP) may actively contribute to achieving these targets.
In accordance with the government’s National Agricommodity Policy 2021-2030 and the twelfth Malaysia Plan, Fadillah expressed his hope that planters could be equipped with the latest data, expertise, and digital know-how to handle trade challenges. “Since Refund has agreed to (put a) cap on the whole oil palm cultivated space, the onus is on the planters to increase the productiveness of the present land through good agricultural practices, new genomics planting supplies, and mechanisation and automation,” he advised.
Fadillah also confused the importance of managing operational prices amid rising input expenses. On a world scale, he highlighted Malaysia’s place as the largest exporter of rubber gloves, second-largest producer and exporter of palm oil, fifth-largest producer of pepper, sixth-largest cocoa grinder, and twelfth largest exporter of furniture..