THERE is a severe manpower shortage in the farming and flower-growing industry which could cost the sector billions of ringgit if left unchecked, said farmers.

There is a need for 30,000 farm workers nationwide while in Cameron Highlands alone, the farmers face a shortage of 8,000 workers. 

They told The Malaysian Insight that while the government’s one-year extension of the temporary work permit for foreign workers was a welcome relief, it was, however, not a long-term solution.

The government recently allowed a further one-year extension of temporary work permits for foreign workers. Under this extension, foreign workers who have used up their 10-year permit and three years of temporary work pass can work for another year.

Farmers said foreign workers were also asking for higher wages as the workload was heavy. Many of these foreigners were using their farm work as a springboard to join factories where the pay is bettter.

They warned that with no locals interested to take up farm jobs, and foreign workers choosing to work in other sectors, the lack of manpower in the farming sector may affect domestic food supply.

President of the Federation of Malaysian Vegetable Growers Associations Lim Ser Kwee said the association has submitted a memorandum to the government that vegetable farmers need 30,000 foreign workers nationwide.

He said Indonesian workers who had gone back to their country last year to celebrate Hari Raya Aidil Fitri have not returned to Malaysia as the borders are still closed.

Some foreign workers’ permits have also expired, and this has contributed to a manpower loss of 30% in the farming sector.

“Presently, foreign workers are still clamouring to go back to their country. They are also waiting to join other sectors where the pay is higher.

“When the government opens up more sectors, foreign workers will use farming to get into other industries with higher paying jobs.

“The farming industry’s application fee for foreign workers is the lowest among many fields, about RM5,000. Many foreign workers run away after working for a month.

“Small farmers who applied for foreign workers are throwing away good money after bad workers,” he said.

He added that these workers at the farms did not want to be exposed to the sun and rain and preferred to work in factories and restaurants.

Lim suggested the government blacklist these “escaping” foreign workers, or enact regulations to control them, as otherwise it will only hurt small farmers.

He said foreign workers working in the plantation industry can receive a salary of more than RM2,000, but at the start, they are only paid between RM1,500 and RM1,600.

He said that Malaysia’s agricultural land is uneven, unlike the large grasslands in foreign countries. Vegetable cultivation is also different from rice fields and cannot be mechanised.

“We hope that the government will allow foreign workers to enter the country as we do not have enough workers to meet the needs of the plantation sector. Otherwise, we will not only lose RM10 billion, but could suffer higher losses.”

‘The work is hard’

Cameron Highlands Floriculturist Association president Lee Peng Fo said that there is a shortage of 15,000 foreign workers in the Cameron Highlands area.

Nearly 1,000 foreign workers have insisted on returning home since last year. 

He said there are fewer than 10,000 of them now in Cameron Highlands, which means one person has to do the work of three.

The work is hard and many have left even though the farmer has increased their salaries, he added.

“This is the problem we are currently facing. There is a shortage of manpower. Many flower farmers have reduced their planting by 40%, and many farmland in Cameron is now vacant.”

He said nowadays foreign workers are paid close to RM2,000 a month.

“If we continue paying a minimum wage of RM1,200, no foreign worker will want to work on the farms. Harvesting and packing require manpower and cannot be replaced by machines.”

With the Covid-19 pandemic, he added that it was no longer easy to grow flowers.

He said flower farmers had thought the situation had improved and they could now export what they grew but the cost of transport, especially airfreight, has gone up drastically.

This, coupled with a lack of manpower and the growing cost of running the farms, have left farmers in a difficult situation.

According to data from Malaysia’s export of agricultural products, Cameron Highlands farmers account for 97% of flowers exported to 18 countries.

‘Workers may run away’

Malaysian Fruit Farmers Association president Hong Jok Hon said he feels helpless.

Besides worrying about the weather, he said fruit farmers are worried the workers may run away. They have to check every morning to see if the workers are still there.

“The government’s willingness to extend the temporary work permit for foreign workers for one year is better than nothing, which proves that the government understands the seriousness of the lack of foreign workers in the plantation sector.

Hong said that the association recently sought feedback from its members and found that fruit farmers are short of 10,000 foreign workers, including those in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Pahang lacks 3,000 people and Johor needs 2,000, so we submitted to the government that we need 10,000 foreign workers.”

“A while ago, some headhunting companies went south to recruit foreign workers to work in factories in Penang,” he said.

To grow jackfruit and papaya in his orchard requires manual fruit packing, picking, and fertilisation, which cannot be replaced by machinery.

“You don’t need machines to work in orchards. You need to water when the weather is dry. If there is too much rain, you have to worry about the harvest, or worry about the fruit being damaged by strong winds.

“You must pay attention to the fruit trees all the time, unlike in a factory where you can be comfortable.

“We hope that the government will allow foreign workers to return to the farming sector at a reduced cost, because farmers are really working hard.

“In recent years, the prices of fertilisers, pesticides and plastic has gone up by more than 30%, and the cost of applying for legal foreign workers is high. They will run away and lose their money.”

The farmers urged the government to open up the recruitment of new foreign workers as soon as possible. – April 28, 2021.