Malaysians could pay more for vegetables as worker exodus sparks supply fears: ‘locals don’t want the jobs’

Malaysian vegetable farmers have warned supply could fall by 40 per cent next month due to a labour shortage caused by the annual Ramadan exit of Muslim foreign workers, but exacerbated by a hard May 31 government deadline for new migrant workers to enter the country.

“All our farms use foreign workers. Locals don’t want the jobs, and now even foreign workers are picky as most prefer working in factories over the hard work at farms,” said Lim Ser Kwee, the president of the Malaysian Federation of Vegetable Farmers Association, which has 6,000 members.

Lim, who also runs a farm in southern Johor state, said around one-fifth of the estimated 40,000 foreign workers hired by the federation’s members had been expected to return to their home countries during the Ramadan fasting month to beat the Eid rush.

That could drag output down by 40 per cent at their next harvest cycle next month, he said, adding that workers often took months to return to their jobs.

This means households and restaurants may have to pay more for leafy greens such as spinach and bok choy, which are mainly produced locally due to their short shelf life.

Lim said farms in the hilly enclave of Cameron Highlands – the largest vegetable-producing region in the peninsula – typically send down between 500 tonnes and 600 tonnes of fresh vegetables daily.

Fewer hands mean the farms may not be able to harvest everything in time, and potential wastage, as vegetables that don’t meet market standards end up on the scrap heap, he said.

While the Ramadan exodus is an annual affair, the government’s move to cap foreign labour hiring by May 31 will coincide with the lowest point of employment across the year.

Grocers reject the likely looming passing of farm gate costs up the