#8 The Palm Oil Partnership: A Calculated Compromise

After months of navigating legal and familial systems, today was the day we finally turned our attention back to the land itself. Our goal was to meet with the local caretaker, the man who held the key to the palm oil estate’s past and who, we hoped, would be our business partner for its future.

A Meeting is Made

My first calls to the caretaker went unanswered. It was only when my mother called that he picked up immediately—a detail that confirmed my suspicions about his cautious nature. I understood why; in today’s world of scammers and relentless relatives, an unknown number is a risk. I quickly explained my agreement with our Matriarch and proposed a meeting for the next day, which he willingly accepted.

We left home early the next day for our village, a two-hour journey that gave us time for breakfast and reflection. When we arrived, my mother prepared tea and laid out some delicacies, a small gesture to ease the professional tension. The caretaker soon arrived, and we sat at the gazebo outside our house, a quiet setting with a beautiful view of the lake. The meeting was set to begin.

A Partnership is Forged

I started the conversation by showing him the agreement I had signed with our Matriarch and stating that for the next three years, the land would be under my management. I then presented my proposal for a collaboration: I would be looking for transparency on the costs (fertilizer, workers, transportation) and the income, and in return, we would split the profits 50/50.

He listened carefully and then, with the shrewdness of a man who knows his business, he reframed my proposal: “What you are proposing is a joint venture between business partners.” He did not oppose the idea but quickly countered. If we were to proceed this way, he proposed a 60/40 profit split in his favor, with costs shared equally. His reasoning was logical—he is the one doing the hard work on the land. I agreed.

He then, with a slight hesitation, requested four months to begin. This was too long. I pushed back, pointing out that he had already designed the joint venture himself, so why the need for more time? He reconsidered and agreed to a start date of October 1st, just a little over a month from now.

The Past and the Power Dynamic

He then said he was only doing this because I was a close relative, to help the family. I accepted his sentiment, but I couldn’t help but think that no one would agree to work on a land with no profit. I understood then that the man in front of me was cunning and a master of navigating these family relationships.

I used the opportunity to ask him about the past. I showed him the expired agreement with our Matriarch on my smartphone. He quickly said it was with another contractor, “Mat Rogi,” and that he was just a partner in the company. He explained that “Mat Rogi” and then another man, “Zamri,” had been responsible for the lease payments to our Matriarch, and he only took over the management one and a half years ago. While I doubted the legal accuracy of this, I simply took note.

He also clarified that the lease money was not sent directly to our Matriarch, but to another relative who would then pass it on. Again, I noted this down with a plan to clarify it with our Matriarch later.

The meeting concluded with two final points. He agreed to pay the last lease payment by the end of September. He also agreed to speak with “Zamri” to refund the land taxes that my mother had paid, as the old agreement stipulated that the caretaker was responsible for them.

A Calculated Compromise

It was clear that my father and I had the upper hand from a legal point of view, but this caretaker had a decade of business network and palm oil knowledge. His proposed 60/40 profit split was a 10% cut on my side, a very small cost to enter a world that was completely unknown to us. The man was cunning and knew his way, and I knew that to succeed, I would have to carefully manage our rapport and listen. This was a business negotiation, but it was also a mentorship in the guise of a partnership.

Now, we have more or less one month before the venture with the local caretaker starts. We intend to use this time to finalize the land surveying activities, so that the land boundaries are clear. We will also use this time to prepare a draft contract with the local Caretaker. What happens in a month after this? Join the 9 Acre Revival project to find out!