Archived News

NEW DELHI, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- The potential of using vegetable oils, suchas palm oil and soya oil as bio-fuels is increasing considerably aspetroleum crude prices continue to rule high.

1/19/2005 Miami Herald - New evidence that the rapid expansion of Brazil'sexport-fuelled agriculture sector is contributing to the deforestation ofthe Amazon rain forest is emerging from a study being finalised by a groupof leading environmental organisations.

20/1/05 - CB INDUSTRIAL Product Holding Bhd is expecting double-digitgrowth in revenue for its current year ending December 31 2005 if the palmoil industry sustains its good run.

JAKARTA, Jan 18 Asia Pulse - State-owned plantation company PTPN III inMedan said it will build a panel wood plant in cooperation with investorsfrom China and Japan.

19/1/05Indonesia Palm Oil Lower On Weak Demand(Dow Jones)--Indonesia palm oil prices lower amid sluggish buyinginterest as weak soyoil, excess supply continued to drive prices lower.CPO in Medan was traded lower at IDR3,310/kg vs IDR3,350/kg yesterday."Buyers aren't keen to buy. They see that there's still room for theprices to go lower," says trader in Medan. RBD Olein in Jakarta was tradedlower at IDR3,700/kg. It was offered at IDR3,750/kg yesterday, but notrades were reported.

KARACHI (January 20 2005): Pakistan's vegetable oil imports were expectedto remain slow on falling international prices and high domestic stocks,and dealers said on Wednesday traders would wait for world prices tosettle down. Dealers said reports of high palm oil stocks in Malaysia hadalso sidelined big players, as they expect prices to remain soft in daysahead.

17 January 2005 KORONADAL CITY -- The city government here plans todevelop at least 300 hectares of idle lands into oil palm (Elaeisguineensis) plantations in the next two years.Emelita Miguel, city agriculturist, said they are now validating theirlist of 20 prospective farmers and the proposed plantation sites in 20 ofthe city's 27 barangays.

17/01/2005 - Dutch producer of oils and fats Loders Croklaan has changedits company logo in an effort to underline the connection with itsMalaysian parent company IOI Group and emphasize their joint palm oilstrategy.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and India have agreed toundertake a joint feasibility study on the Comprehensive EconomicCooperation Agreement (CECA), which includes the possibility of havingFree Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

17/1/05 KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Malaysia's crude palm oil production isforecast to rise around 2% from 2004's actual output to 14.24 million tonsin 2005, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.According to data on the government-run MPOB's Web site, CPOproduction in 2004 totaled 13.98 million tons, up 4.7% from 2003.The MPOB said the final 2004 output figure was 2.3% higher than itsinitial projection of 13.66 million tons.It didn't provide reasons for the better-than-forecast 2004 figuresnor for the expected growth in 2005.The following is a breakdown of the MPOB's actual and forecast figuresfor 2004 and 2005 by months:

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 Asia Pulse - Malaysia posted a trade surplus of RM6.0billion (US$1.58 billion) in November 2004, down from RM6.6 billion forthe same month in the previous year, the Statistics Department said.

PENANG, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will explore new markets in Europe toreduce its palm oil stock surplus totalling 1.3 million tonnes.