Labour-Efficient Rat Control in Oil Palm Estates: Field Results Supporting Multiple Baiting Strategies with Racumin® Wax Block

Labour Shockwaves Across Malaysia’s Oil Palm Industry

In March 2020, Malaysia implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) to contain the spread of COVID-19. While necessary from a public health perspective, the nationwide restrictions triggered a major operational crisis in the oil palm sector. Border closures and a freeze on foreign worker permits led to the departure of 80% of the sector’s 337,000 migrant workers, primarily from Indonesia [2]. With no immediate way to replace them, estates across the country faced widespread disruption in core field operations.

The plantation industry is heavily reliant on experienced foreign labour, particularly for critical tasks like harvesting, upkeep, and fertilization. These are not easily replaceable roles. Many of these workers possess years of hands-on experience and a practical understanding of estate routines. In harvesting alone, foreign workers account for 85% of the workforce. As estates struggled to maintain yield, remaining workers were redeployed to harvesting, leaving weeding, fertilization, and pest control deprioritized. The result was a sharp rise in pest populations, including rats, moths, and bagworms [4]. Rat baiting activities were significantly reduced, creating conditions that allowed rats to nest, feed, and multiply [5], leading to further yield losses and operational setbacks. By 2021, Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) production had dropped to its lowest level in three decades [6].

Borders Reopen, But Labour Gap Remains

Even after the reopening of borders in the post-COVID years, Malaysia’s plantation sector continues to face a significant shortfall of approximately 40,000 foreign workers. The return of mobility has not translated into an equivalent return of the labour force, as many workers now prefer employment in manufacturing and service sectors [3].

This has severe implications. Industry estimates suggest that the shortfall could result in MYR 7.9 billion in lost export value due to reduced production [1].

Meanwhile, field tasks like weeding, fertilizing, pesticide spraying, and rat control continue to pile up, straining the existing workforce and limiting recovery efforts.

Redesigning Rat Control for a Labour-Constrained Future

Rat control is traditionally labour-intensive. The conventional method requires:

• 1 bait per palm
• Bait replacements every 4 to 7 days
• 3–5 rounds per cycle

With fewer hands available, this approach is no longer viable across large estate areas.

The shift towards smarter baiting strategies, such as multiple baiting with Racumin® Wax Block (RWB), reflects a broader emphasis on minimizing unnecessary field disruption, reducing physical labour strain, and supporting healthier, more resilient estate environments, both for workers and for the agricultural systems they manage.

Unlike conventional single-bait cycles, the multiple-baiting method involves applying 3 or 4 baits per palm in a single round, supported by RWB’s durable, weather-resistant wax formulation.

Comparing the Two Approaches

Aspect	Conventional Baiting	Multiple Baiting (RWB)
Bait Quantity per Palm	1 bait	3 or 4 baits
Application Rounds	3 to 5 rounds	1 round only
Bait Replacement Frequency	Every 4 days	Not required (durable bait)
Labour Requirement	High (multiple field visits)	Low (single round)
Time to Reduce  FRD <5%	~2 weeks (after 3 rounds)	~2 weeks (after 1 round)
Effectiveness	Proven	Matched conventional performance

  

Field Trial Results: Less Labour, Equal Impact

The results were compelling:

• The initial fresh rat damage (FRD) on Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) was approximately 10 to 16% at the start of the trial, and the conventional method brought it down to less than 5% over two weeks with three rounds.
• The multiple baiting method, whether 3 or 4 baits per palm, achieved the same FRD reduction (<5%) in just one round over the same time period.

There was no statistically significant difference between the 3-bait and 4-bait variants in terms of efficacy.

Outcome: Less labour, same control level.

Why This Matters for Estate Operations

The findings from the multiple baiting study present a timely solution to one of the plantation sector’s most pressing challenges: how to sustain effective field operations with a reduced workforce.

Although the multiple baiting method involves using more bait per palm, it requires fewer rounds, which directly translates to:

• Reduced manpower requirements
• Lower operational time and labour cost
• Improved allocation of limited resources to high-priority tasks like harvesting and fertilization

By reducing the need for repeated baiting cycles, estates can better protect both the workforce's well-being and the surrounding plantation ecosystems. Smarter application strategies like these help support the creation of healthier working environments and contribute to more sustainable field practices that minimize environmental disturbance. This naturally aligns with efforts toward healthier spaces and nature-positive agricultural systems.

The Way Forward: Managing More with Less

As plantations continue adapting to new labour realities, solutions like multiple baiting with RWB offer a practical, scalable pathway forward. These approaches safeguard harvests, enhance fieldworker conditions, and advance more resilient agricultural ecosystems.

Through thoughtful innovation and resource optimization, estates can pursue outcomes that reinforce both operational excellence and the broader goals of sustaining healthier spaces and promoting environmental stewardship without increasing field burdens or compromising productivity.

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References

[1] New Straits Times. (2024, February). Palm oil industry loses RM7.9 billion annually due to worker shortage. Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/02/1018778/palm-oil-industry-loses-rm79b-annually-due-worker-shortage  

[2] Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO). (n.d.). COVID-19: An Overview of Labour Shortage Issues in the Oil Palm Industry. Retrieved from https://mspo.org.my/mspo-blogs/covid-19-an-overview-of-labour-shortage-issues-in-the-oil-palm-industry

[3] New Straits Times. (2024, March). Labour shortages in the oil palm industry. Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/business/insight/2024/03/1022244/labour-shortages-oil-palm-industry

[4] Reuters. (2021, December). Malaysia's palm oil producers adjust to labour shortages, higher recruitment costs. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/malaysias-palm-oil-producers-adjust-labour-shortages-higher-recruitment-costs-2021-12-09/

[5] Reuters. (2021, September). Rats, drought, labour shortages eat into global edible oil recovery. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/rats-drought-labour-shortages-eat-into-global-edible-oil-recovery-2021-09-05/

[6] New Straits Times. (2024, March). Old palms, labour shortage contribute to decline in FFB yield. Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/03/1028568/old-palms-labour-shortage-contribute-decline-fbb-yield