By DayakDaily Team
LUNDU, Oct 23: Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) has successfully recruited 64 Indonesian workers to tackle the ongoing labour shortage affecting its oil palm estates.
In a press release issued today, Sarawak Minister for Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development (M-FICORD) and SALCRA chairman Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom expressed concern over the persistent labour challenges impacting plantation operations, particularly in SALCRA’s oil palm estates.
To mitigate these challenges, he supported SALCRA’s recruitment of the foreign workers to perform tasks, particularly harvesting and estate maintenance; tasks that add significant value to the operations by ensuring higher yield productivity.
Dr Rundi was present during a ceremony to welcome the new recruits in Lundu today.
Meanwhile, SALCRA general manager Joseph Blandoi reportedly emphasised that closing the current labour gap presents a significant opportunity for SALCRA to boost productivity.
“With each worker contributing at least 1.5 metric tonnes (MT) daily, a full workforce could generate approximately 690 MT per day.
“At the current market price of FFB (fresh fruit bunches) around RM700 per MT, this represents potential revenue gains of almost RM500,000 per day.
“Such an improvement would not only enhance SALCRA’s financial performance but also provide substantial benefits to landowners who rely on these returns for their investments,” he said in the same statement.
With these new foreign workers in place, SALCRA is optimistic about improving productivity and achieving sustainable returns for its stakeholders.
It added that it will continue working closely with the relevant authorities in addressing labour challenges effectively and strengthening the resilience of the oil palm and palm oil operation. — DayakDaily
