Minister lauds Salcra’s recruitment of Indonesian workers to enhance agricultural productivity

KUCHING (Oct 23): Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom today lauded the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) for taking the proactive step in addressing labour shortages through the successful recruitment of 64 Indonesian migrant workers (PMIs).

Dr Rundi, who is also Salcra chairman, initially was concerned over the persistent labour challenges impacting plantation operations, particularly in Salcra’s oil palm estates.

To mitigate these challenges, the minister supports Salcra’s recruitment of migrant workers from neighbouring Indonesia to perform tasks, particularly harvesting and estate maintenance – tasks that add significant value to the operations by ensuring higher yield productivity, his ministry said in a statement.

During the PMIs’ File Handover Ceremony at Lundu near here, Dr Rundi personally welcomed the 64 newly recruited workers to Sarawak, expressing gratitude for their commitment in contributing to the state’s agricultural sector.

He also offered words of encouragement to motivate the workers as they embark on their duties with Salcra.

Salcra on the other hand said it is pleased with the minister’s announcement, which emphasises the importance of strategic workforce management in improving productivity.

“We have consistently strived to deliver sustainable returns to stakeholders, including the Sarawak government and landowners.

“Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone in our efforts to address labour shortages and ensure sustainable operations,” said Salcra general manager, Joseph Blandoi.

The current labour shortage remains a key challenge across the plantation sector nationwide, impacting productivity levels, he added.

He, however, 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,” he said.

“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 added.

With these new PMIs in place, Salcra is optimistic about improving productivity and achieving sustainable returns for its stakeholders, said Joseph.

Moving forward, Salcra will continue working closely with the relevant authorities in addressing labour challenges effectively and strengthening the resilience of the oil palm and palm oil operations, he added.