Aging farmers stall palm replanting, threatening global supply

The Manila Times

Aging farmers stall palm replanting, threatening global supply  Malaysian oil palm farmer Suratmen Mosman faces a dilemma that could sap supplies from the world’s top exporters and drive up prices of a vegetable oil relied on by billions.  The aging trees on his plantation are bearing less fruit, but the 85-year-old is holding off replacing them as he doesn't want to lose income while waiting the three to five years it takes for new trees to start yielding a crop and the years beyond that it will take for them to reach peak production.  Government subsidies to encourage replanting are not as high as they once were and he needs to support his family. With aging trees bearing less fruit, the replanting rate has fallen below official targets, threatening long-term output from one of the world’s top palm oil producers.  Used mostly as a cooking oil, but also to make cakes, cosmetics and cleaning products, palm oil makes up more than half of the world's vegetable oil supply and 85% of the crude product comes from Malaysia and Indonesia.   REUTERS VIDEO  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital  Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters   Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes #WorldNews #Malaysia

Transcript

00:00Music

00:05Music

00:21Music

00:24Music

00:26Music

00:28Let's go.

00:58so

01:28We have at the moment 630,000 hectares which are more than 25 years of age.

01:57These are past prime.

02:00On top of that, as I told you, who is going to harvest it?

02:04Now remember, if you are a harvester, given that particular block to go and harvest, he's

02:10going to turn around and say, Thuan, why am I going to struggle, break my back and break

02:16my neck to go and harvest a palm which is probably 38 to 40 feet tall, and how much am I going

02:24to earn?

02:25If this year's yield is 3.5%, next year it should be at least 2% more than the 3.5%.

02:38If you don't achieve that 2% increase in annual yield, you will not be able to sustain because

02:46of the inflation.

03:02I'll see you next time.

Category

Transcript

Comments

Recommended