Archived News
23-08-2001
E-Registration Will Create More Efficient Platform
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- e-registration, an electronic submissionsystem, will mutually benefit the palm oil industry and the Malaysian PalmOil Board (MPOB), said its head of trade development unit, Jamil Nordin.
23-08-2001
Go For Global R&D Partners, Says Official
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- In view of the lack of active researchand development (R&D) on agricultural products in Malaysia, it isessential for the country to work with leading R&D groups worldwide sothat Malaysian R&D can be more effective, said a Malaysian Palm OilAssociation (MPOA) official Chew Poh Soon.
23-08-2001
India Wants JV Partners For Oil Refinery
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's palm oil industry playerskeen on having a partnership in oil refinery, would have a goodopportunity to do so with a company from India which wants to foray intothe edible oil sector.
23-08-2001
Oils & Fats Industry Must Take Part In Regulatory
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- It is vital for the oils and fatsindustry to ensure the continuous participation in regulatory decisionmaking at both the national and international level.
23-08-2001
US, EU rapped over edible oil support
PRIMARY Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik yesterdaycriticised the United States and some European countries, which produceedible oils, for providing various backups to their farmers to grow morein times of supply glut.
22-08-2001
CPO Prices To Stay At RM1,200
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysian palm oil prices are expectedto stay at the RM1,200 per tonne level, Malaysian Palm Oil PromotionCouncil (MPOPC) director of marketing and promotion, Dr Ahmad Ibrahim saidhere Tuesday.
22-08-2001
Focus More On Development Of Oleochemicals For Ind
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- The major growth in the use ofoleochemicals is expected to be in industrial applications, and as suchgreater focus should be directed towards this development, Cognis AsiaPacific regional vice-president Mohd Kassim Salleh said here on Tuesday.
22-08-2001
INDONESIA 2001 PALM OIL EXPORT MAY FALL ON RUPIAH
Indonesia's palm oil exports may fall to 3.9 million tonnes in 2001 from4.15 million tonnes last year, hampered by lower yields and a strongerrupiah, an industry official said on Monday."I am afraid that we won't be able to reach a target of 4.2 milliontonnes. (Exports) may fall to 3.9 million tonnes," Derom Bangun, chairmanof the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) told Reuters onthe sidelines of a palm oil conference.Bangun said palm oil production for the world's second-largest producerafter Malaysia had declined in the first half of the year. January-Mayexports were estimated at 1.6 million tonnes, down 10 percent from thesame period last year because of lower yields, he said.The appreciating rupiah, quoted at 8,535/8,575 to the dollar at 0816GMT on Monday, was also discouraging exports.Bangun said Indonesia's palm oil production may fall short of thetarget of 7.2 million tonnes this year because of security problems andweather problems if the drought causing El Nino phenomenon returns thisyear.Indonesia produced around 6.5 million tonnes of palm oil in 2000.Consumption is expected to reach 3.7 million tonnes this year."Security in some areas is not perfect yet," said Bangun, referring towidespread looting of fresh fruit bunches in plantation areas during theeconomic crisis."Weather experts are talking about El Nino. If that happens, there willbe a shortage in production," he said.Marked by an abnormal warming of waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean,El Nino wreaks devastation in weather patterns around the Pacific Rim andcan also affect the number of storms in the Atlantic hurricane season."Production in the first half of the year only constitutes between 85to 95 percent of the estimates. Many firms are oversold," said Bangun.He said many ships were also waiting at the ports as they could notleave for their destinations because of a shortage in crude palm oil.
22-08-2001
JV An IMPT Tool To Expand Palm Oil Industry
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Joint-venture opportunity is animportant tool to further expand growth in the palm oil market, saidMalaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council's (MPOPC) head of marketing, FaudzyAsrafudeen Sayed Mohamed.
22-08-2001
MALAYSIAN AUGUST PALM OILL FORECAST -IVAN WONG
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Malaysia's palm oil output was estimatedat 972,000 tonnes in August, up eight percent from July, private cropforecaster Ivan Wong said on Tuesday. Wong forecast end-August stocks at900,000 tonnes, down from 921,825 tonnes at the end of July. Exports inAugust were estimated at 860,000-865,000 tonnes against 864,389 tonnes inJuly. Malaysian palm oil supply-demand estimates/projections as of August21, 2001 (in '000 tonnes):
22-08-2001
MALAYSIAN PALM OIL SEEN FIRMING ON DEMAND
Malaysia's palm oil prices may bounce beyond the 1,200 ringgit level laterthis year on bad weather in the United States and heavier demand frommajor buyers like India and China, an industry official said on Tuesday."I think it (the price) will stay around 1,200 ringgit. If the U.S.(soybean) crop has problems, then it may go up further," Ahmad Ibrahim,marketing director of the state Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council(MPOPC), told Reuters in an interview.Malaysia's palm oil futures hit 1,315 ringgit ($346.05) a tonne --their highest level in 22 months -- on August 8 (third-month basis),driven by concern that supplies may be hit in coming months by adverseweather.But prices have gradually eased since then with some traders sayingrecent persistent rains would instead boost output from the world'slargest palm oil producer.By midday on Tuesday, the benchmark third-month November contract wasquoted 21 ringgit higher at 1,136 ringgit ($298.95) a tonne as traderscovered their positions after Monday's sharp drop.Ahmad said Monday's 71 ringgit slide was a correction and he expectedprices to trend higher now, particularly as dry weather in the U.S. mayaffect the soybean crop from the world's largest producer, which in turncould further boost palm oil prices.Palm oil is soyoil's direct competitor."What happened is that the increase in (the palm oil) price was toofast. Now it's being corrected," Ahmad said."But we see in the last few weeks, the weather is not very conducive inthe U.S. for a good (soybean) crop."Ahmad said India, the world's largest edible oil importer, was also inthe market for palm oil ahead of the Diwali Hindu festival of lights inNovember, while China would increase its intake when it joined the WorldTrade Organisation (WTO).Malaysian government officials have said China's palm oil import quotacould stand at up to 2.88 million tonnes in 2005, compared with 1.4million tonnes in 2001.India was Malaysia's main palm oil buyer in 2000, taking 2.03 milliontonnes.Ahmad said population growth and an improvement in purchasing power wasexpected to boost global palm oil consumption to more than 16.5 milliontonnes this year from 15.1 million in 2000.Demand for vegetable fats was also rising because people were morehealth conscious and were shunning animal fats, he said."Many countries are very price sensitive, like Bangladesh. They haveincreased their buying of palm oil tremendously this year," he added.Bangladesh imports could reach up to 300,000 tonnes this year comparedwith less than 100,000 tonnes last year, he said.Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's second largest palm oil producer,account for more than 85 percent of global palm oil exports. About 60percent of palm oil exports came from Malaysia and 25 percent fromIndonesia, Ahmad said.Malaysia's palm oil production is expected to increase 3.4 percent to11.2 million tonnes in 2001. Indonesia's output is projected to reach 7.2million tonnes this year compared with 6.5 million tonnes in 2000.(US$1 = 3.8 ringgit)
22-08-2001
More Discussions On Current-day Issues At 2001 PIP
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- The second day of the International PalmOil Congress (2001 PIPOC) gets under way at Hotel Istana and Mutiara KualaLumpur here Tuesday.