New Straits Times - Dec 14 6:51 PM - A SHORTAGE of workers could frustratethe State's target to develop one million hectares of land into oil palmplantations by 2010.Land Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr James Masing said oil palmproduction could also be affected if there is not enough labour.

"Our target is to open up one million hectares of land as oil palm estatesby 2010.

" But if we do not overcome the shortage of workers, we may not be able toachieve this goal," he said in his winding-up speech at the StateLegislative Assembly.

Masing said the State must find ways to address the problem as soon aspossible.

Sarawak requires some 60,000 workers for its 486,913ha of oil palmplantations but the number has not been achieved.

"We are facing a shortage of workers but we do not know how serious it is.We are now doing a census," he said.

A significant number of estate workers are illegals from Indonesia.

Most of them have returned home recently under the amnesty programme.