which was well over one-third of Malaysia’s total cultivated area. It is apparent that palm oil plantations have been expanding throughout Malaysia including Sabah and Sarawak.
Palm oil plantation areas can be classified as mature and immature lands. Mature land consists of productive palm oil trees whereas immature comprises unproductive palm oil trees.
Productive tree is said to produce around 4-6 tonnes of palm oil per ha. However with the development of new high yielding planting materials, which includes clonal planting
materials, the palm oil industry can achieve up to 7-8 tonnes of palm oil per ha. The perennial crop is harvested throughout the year and remains productive for 20 to 25 years.
Table 1. Palm Oil Plantation mature and immature,1977-2004 ha
P. Malaysia Sabah
Sarawak Year
Mature Immature Total Mature Immature Total Mature Immature Total
1977 461,918 229,788 691,706 50,437 22,866 73,303 9,131 7,674 16,805 1979 601,386 229,150 830,536 56,268 30,415 86,683 12,645 8,999 21,644
1981 757,370 225,778 983,148 74,995 25,616 100,611 15,778 8,326 24,104
1986 1,208,068 202,855 1,410,923 132,442 30,203 162,645 20,069 5,674 25,743
1990 1,512,381 186,117 1,698,498 203,058 73,113 276,171 30,615 24,180 54,795
1994 1,705,530 152,096 1,857,626 367,185 85,300 452,485 71,365 30,523 101,888
1996 1,741,227 185,151 1,926,378 511,616 114,392 626,008 100,304 39,596 139,900
1998 1,810,228 176,962 1,987,190 683,040 159,456 842,496 103,678 144,752 248,430
1999 1,856,124 195,471 2,051,595 772,975 168,347 941,322 227,602 92,874 320,476
2000 1,832,371 213,129 2,045,500 868,767 132,010 1,000,777 240,653 89,734 330,387
2001 1,840,957 255,899 2,096,856 905,694 121,634 1,027,328 258,616 116,212 374,828
2002 1,926,546 260,464 2,187,010 961,269 107,704 1,068,973 300,492 113,768 414,260
2003 1,922,781 279,385 2,202,166 1,035,545 99,555 1,135,100
344,807 119,967 464,774 2004 1,964,129 237,477 2,201,606
1,081,102 84,310 1,165,412 405,729 102,580 508,309
Source: Department of Statistics, Malaysia : 1975-1984 MPOB : 1985-2004
Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo : Palm Oil Contribution To Malaysian Economy, 2008 USU Repository © 2008
Mature and immature lands of palm oil have been increasing over the years due to the expansion of palm oil plantations throughout Malaysia see Table 3.1. Sabah and Sarawak
have abundant supply of land and labor that boosted aggressive palm oil plantations expansion over the last decade. Peninsular Malaysia on the other hand has slowed down its palm oil
plantation expansion due to land and labor shortage Hai, 2000. All thirteen federal states in Malaysia, excluding Kuala Lumpur, have planted palm oil
crops in their region. Sabah has the largest palm oil plantations amongst all the states accounting for 1,165,412 ha in 2004. This consists of 1,081,102 ha of mature land and 84,310
ha of immature land see Table 3.2. In Peninsular Malaysia, Johor has the largest palm oil plantation which totaled to 666,368 ha in 2004 comprising 604,940 ha mature lands and
61,428 ha immature lands. Table 3.3 illustrates that more than 16 percent of total palm oil area was under FELDA
and this covered an area of 611,759 ha. Another 366,486 ha or 9 were under independent smallholders and other smallholder schemes. FELCRA Federal Land Consolidation and
Rehabilitation Authority accounted for 4 of total palm cultivation area while RISDA Rubber Smallholder Authority accounted for 2 of total palm cultivation area. Government
agencies accounted for eight percent of total area. Private companies such as Sime Darby, IOI Corporation, Golden Hope, KL Kepong, Guthrie, Batu Kawan, and PBB Oils owned the
remaining sixty percent of palm oil areas. These private companies have played a prominent role in palm oil plantation and have gradually emerged as the biggest players in this industry.
Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo : Palm Oil Contribution To Malaysian Economy, 2008 USU Repository © 2008
Table 2. Area Under Palm Oil Plantation Mature and Immature by States, 2003-2004 ha
2003 2004
State te
Mature Immature Total
Mature Immature Total
Johore 597,663 61,976
659,639 604,940
61,428 666,368
Kedah 58,248 10,372
68,620 65,566
6,755 72,321
Kelantan 66,895 13,389
80,284 69,875 17,769 87,644 Malacca 43,553
4,804 48,357 46,504 3,082 49,586
N. Sembilan 107,220
27,327 134,547
121,357 19,788
141,145 Pahang 495,612
87,664 583,276
517,876 60,972
578,848 Penang 13,823
506 14,329
13,658 210
13,868 Perak 286,415
34,395 320,810
270,067 32,871
302,938 Perlis 27
27 35
35 Selangor 119,748
14,229 133,977
118,342 9,046
127,388 Terengganu 133,577
24,723 158,300
135,909 25,556
161,465
P.Malaysia 1,922,781 279,385
2,202,166 1,964,129
237,477 2,201,606
Sabah 1,035,545 99,555
1,135,100 1,081,102
84,310 1,165,412
Sarawak 344,807 119,967
464,774 405,729
102,580 508,309
SabahSarawak 1,380,352 219,522 1,599,874 1,486,831
186,890 1,673,721 MALAYSIA 3,303,133
498,907 3,802,040 3,450,960 424,367
3,875,327
Source: MPOB 2006 Table 3. Distribution of Palm Oil Plantation Area by States, 2004 Ha
State SHolders
Licensed FELDA
FELCRA RISDA
State Schemes
Govt. Agencies
Private Estates
Total
Johore 151,694 117,988
24,450 7,517 43,590 321,129
666,368 Kedah
13,626 0 1,130 1,756 0 55,809
72,321 Kelantan 1,814
36,052 5,307 767 8,397 35,307
87,644 Malacca 5,413
1,181 2,475 2,005 0
38,512 49,586 N. Sembilan
10,897 29,707
7,036 11,131 2,883 79,491 141,145 Pahang 23,218
240,667 30,641
17,847 59,692 206,783 578,848 Penang 6,868
501 53
6,446 13,868
Perak 22,580 18,668
32,154 18,790 13,010 197,736 302,938
Perlis 35 35
Selangor 31,981 591
4,491 241
2,314 87,770
127,388 Terengganu 5,423
40,244 20,361 20,671 19,094 55,672 161,465
P. Malaysia 273,549
