KUALA LUMPUR: The increase in the price of oil palm fresh fruit bunch (FFB), which has reached RM1,000 per tonne has, to some extent, reduce the losses of Felda settlers who are affected due to the lack of foreignlworkers to harvest their plantations.

       According to National Felda Settlers chief Sulong Jamil Mohamed Shariff, Felda settlers are grateful that they will able to increase their income when FFB production recovers with the help of foreigners who are expected to return to work in the country soon.

       “Because the settlers are mostly in their 60s, they are not interested to use the money for the purpose of changing new cars and so on.

       “Instead, it will be used to invest in Felda cooperatives, for example, or other investment agencies,” he told Bernama.

       Sulong Jamil said, on average, settlers could get 10 to 12 tonnes of FFB per month (RM1,000 per tonne) from mature trees and the net income that can be earned is between RM7,000 and RM9,000 per month.

       “This is their chance to generate more income.

       “In the past two years, the price of FFB had dropped to around RM300 per tonne,” he said.

       However, Sulong Jamil said the settlers were also grateful for the government’s announcement to allow the return of foreign workers to harvest oil palm trees in their plantations.

       Earlier, he reportedly said that 80,000 Felda settlers nationwide had to bear losses of RM264mil per month due to the lack of foreign workers.

       “With their entry later, we can reduce our burden especially in terms of harvesting fruits.

       “Of the 32,000 foreign workers who will be allowed to enter the country soon, about 15,000 will be brought into Felda,” he pointed out.

       Oil palm fruit harvesting is done two times per month lasting between 15 and 20 days per round.

       Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin recently said the government had decided to bring in 32,000 foreigners to work in the plantation sector.

       This, she said, was due to the lack of local workers to fill the vacancies in the field.

       The matter was approved by the Cabinet with strict recruitment adherence to standard operating procedures set by the Ministry of Health.

       According to Zuraida, palm oil sales are expected to increase by about 40% and it can generate a return of about RM20bil to the country before the end of the year.

       “The entry of foreign workers needs to be accelerated to increase the country’s exports as commodity prices are now showing an increase despite the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said. — Bernama