Job of Last Resort Puts Further Strain on Malaysia's Palm Sector
Malaysia's palm oil industry is grappling with a dwindling labor pool as workers increasingly shun physically demanding jobs at plantations, a trend that threatens to exacerbate production woes in the major grower.
The sector has become the 'last choice' for foreign laborers — the backbone of the industry — and locals, who view the work as dirty, dangerous and difficult, said Roslin Azmy Hassan, the head of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association, an industry group. Many are choosing jobs in urban areas, he added.
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