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KUCHING, June 9 (Bernama) — The way forward to resolve the labour shortage in the oil palm industry is to increase the level of mechanisation, said Minister Of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said while attempts to create a bigger pool of workforce were being made, oil palm industry players have to acknowledge that the sector must also initiate efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on manual labour.
“But, I must reiterate that the industry’s response has been rather slow. The level of mechanisation and automation especially in the upstream sector to reduce labour dependency is still low and this is of concern to us.
“Although some mechanisation such as mini-tractors, mini-tractor grabber bins and other machines have been introduced, they are not up to the expected level,” he said at the opening of the Palm Industry Labour: Issues, Performances and Sustainability Seminar (PILIPS 2014) here Monday.
Uggah said it was time the industry explored the possibility of introducing new and latest technologies, such as those created in the field of robotics to enhance productivity, improve safety and reduce costs.
Meanwhile, Uggah said unemployment was prevalent in many parts of the country especially in rural areas including Sabah and Sarawak.
“The current unemployment rate in Malaysia was about 3 per cent. The big pool of unemployed locals could become a major source of labour that can be tapped to reduce dependency on foreign labour,” he said.
Malaysian Palm Oil Board Director-General Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May said production of CANTAS, a motorised cutter used in oil palm harvesting, would be increased to 20,000 units per year by 2020 against the existing 5,000 units per year.
“The price of the unit would be reduced from the current RM5,000 per unit to RM2,500 in order to encourage its widespread usage,” she said, adding that efforts have been made to improve the capability of the machine to harvest oil palm tress of more than 15 feet.
“On top of that, priority will also be given to the durability of the pole and the after-sales service to encourage more plantation owners to opt for better harvesting technology,” Dr Choo added. — BERNAMA
Source: Bernama
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