The Initiative to Further Enhance Technology Adoption in the Malaysian Oil Palm Industry

Abstract

The oil palm industry is facing highly severe labour shortages where most labourers involved in the plantation consist of foreign workers. The usage of manual labourers revealed several negative drawbacks which has caused lower productivity in the oil palm industry. Hence, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has made continuous efforts to enhance the efficiency of oil palm plantations by providing assistance in mechanisation and engineering technologies. This covers from the early stage of oil palm cultivation such as land preparation, fertiliser deployment, fresh fruit bunch (FFB) harvesting, FFB evacuation and up to the clearing of old palm trees. This article aims to highlight the strategies of the Mechanisation and Automation Research Consortium of Oil Palm (MARCOP) through collaborative efforts and engagements with all relevant parties and agencies for the development of technical and economically viable mechanisation technologies to be adopted by the industry. The consortium's goal is to investigate mechanisation and automation technologies for oil palm plantations in order to increase productivity, with a particular emphasis on the operation of harvesting FFBs, and to reduce reliance on manual harvesters. Furthermore, the consortium provides a technology development fund to eligible applicants for the development of cost-effective and versatile FFB harvesting technologies.