The number of employed persons in 2021 was 15.06 million, with 1.5 million of them involved in the agriculture sector, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Based on the Salaries and Wages Survey conducted by DOSM in 2021, the number of recipients of salaries and wages for skilled agriculture workers decreased to 76,700 persons, as compared to 142,100 in the previous year.

“The median monthly salaries and wages for the agriculture sector increased to RM1,695, as compared to 2020 (RM1,291).

“The mean salaries and wages of skilled agriculture workers also increased to RM1,853 in 2021, as compared to RM1,547 in the previous year,” DOSM said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 25).

According to the department, the agriculture sector contributes to the country through exports, especially by-products produced from agricultural commodities such as palm oil, with total agricultural exports increasing to RM154.5 billion in 2021 from RM118.7 billion in 2020.

Total imports of the agriculture sector also showed an increase to RM120.5 billion in 2021, as compared to RM98.3 billion in 2020.