Attitudes and Motivation of the Young Generation towards the Palm Oil Industry

Malaysia is currently one of the largest producers and exporters of palm oil in the world. Despite the strength and vast potential of our palm oil industry, engaging the youth in this industry is a challenging task as most perceive the industry and agriculture unattractive as a career, without realising the importance of the sector in their everyday lives. Furthermore, the development of sectors such as ecommerce, digital technology and real estate is a compounding factor behind the decline of interest among the younger FELDA generation. The present study is designed to examine the attitudes and motivation of young FELDA generation towards the palm oil industry. A simple random sampling technique was adopted to select 50 working respondents from the age of 22-40 at 4 FELDA settlements. Questionnaire was distributed for primary data collection, where a four-point Likert scale was used to examine differences in attitudes and motivation towards 64 statements regarding aspects ranging from working conditions to promotion opportunities. The findings point to an overall positive attitude towards all aspects of the industry. The highest mean is revealed in the area of social status, with the majority feeling respected and proud to be a part of the palm oil community. In general, the majority of the respondents display positive attitude and motivation towards the palm oil industry. Based on the findings we would recommend trainings to empower FELDA youths to take advantage of the expanding industry and to claim their space in the palm oil sector.