Sum. (En, Fr); 6 tab.

This paper examines the experience of Malaysia in tree-crop cultivation before and after the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. It focusses on four major issues: the short-term export instability of tree crops; the long-term resource immobility of tree crops; the ecological and environmental impact of tree crops on the tropical rain forests; and the position of smallholders in tree-crop cultivation compared with that of the large estates. The analysis leads to four conclusions. First, tree-crop dominance in Malaysia has declined significantly in many repects except in percentage of agricultural land use and agricultural employment. Second, the long-term prospects of the major tree crops range from hopeful for oil palm and cocoa to bright for natural rubber. Third, tree crops are, relative to nontreee crops, more profitable and less detrimental to the ecological balance in tropical rain-forest environments, although the competition between tree crops and forestry in land use may have reached a critical point. Fourth, the competitiveness of smallholders in tree crops, as significant new techniques in production and processing become available, will be reduced, and, therefore, they may require outside assistance, especially from the state