Investor Presentaiton
The price 'boom' 2007-8
The high commodity prices led farmers to follow the market, often
reducing their range of activities to monocultures of oil palm or
rubber, or working as labourers in these industries.
From 'sleeping land' (i.e. swidden fallows) to rubber or oil palm
smallholdings (less land in food crops)
From logging (legal or illegal) to rubber (West Kal) or oil palm
labourers (C. Kal)
Many plantation smallholders (plasma) paid off their debts to the
estates. They also splurged on consumer goods and incurred new
debts.
The large estates were highly export-oriented, with the result that
local cooking oil prices soared as supplies became scarce.
Fertiliser shortages were felt by small farmers, as large estates
expanded their production and commandeered supplies.View entire presentation