Palm planters in Malaysia face labour shortage as Indonesia workers stay away

Kuala Lumpur

MALAYSIAN palm oil planters say they are bracing for a severe labour shortage, with workers who typically stream over the border from neighbouring Indonesia to harvest crops staying away due to the weaker ringgit and increased opportunities at home.

A dearth of workers in the world's No 2 producer could delay harvests and curb output as extraction rates fall when palm fruit is picked late, hurting the country's top commodity export industry but potentially offering some support to prices that have dropped nearly 15 per cent this year.