ABSTRACT:
This study investigates the impact of fertiliser application, harvester availability and estate size on oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) yield using quantile regression for Malaysian estates. Unlike traditional meanbased approaches, quantile regression allows for a deeper understanding of how these factors influence estates at different yield levels. The results reveal that fertiliser has a strong, positive effect across all yield quantiles, with diminishing returns at higher yield levels. Harvester availability plays a significant role, particularly for medium-yield estates. Estate size exhibits varying effects whereby small and medium-small estates underperform at lower quantiles and show modest improvements at higher quantiles. However, these upward shifts are only weakly significant and have limited effect sizes. These insights suggest while smaller estates may benefit from targeted support, the magnitude of their advantage at higher yield levels is modest. The findings contribute to optimising resource allocation and enhancing sustainability in Malaysia’s palm oil industry.
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