25/03/2013 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures fell on Monday on weaker exports, although losses were limited as a last-ditch deal to bailout Cyprus supported investor appetite for riskier assets.

Cyprus clinched a deal with international lenders for a 10 billion euro ($13 billion) bailout, sending global markets including crude oil and the euro higher.

But palm oil came under pressure as Malaysian exports fell to 1,055,914 tonnes in the first 25 days of the month, a 7 percent slide compared to the same period last month.

Data from cargo surveyors also showed a slowdown of shipments to major edible oil buyers India, the United States and the European Union. 

"We saw a drop in exports to India ... Indian buyers last month did not book that many shipments for March in advance on uncertainty of the tax change," said a Singapore-based trader with a global commodities house.

Indian buyers avoided booking cargoes for March in advance as they expected the government to use its budget in late February to announce a hike in import tariffs, although that did not materialise.                   

The benchmark June contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange had lost 1.3 percent to 2,460 ringgit ($794) per tonne by Monday's close. Intraday prices touched a high of 2,505 ringgit, the highest level since Feb. 22, but failed to rally.

Total traded volume stood at 35,577 lots of 25 tonnes each, much higher than the usual 25,000 lots.   

Leading analyst Dorab Mistry has forecast palm oil futures could trade between 2,400 and 2,700 ringgit per tonne by the end of May due to lower stocks and output, an upward revision from his previous forecast. 

He also expects Malaysian palm oil stocks to drop below 2 million tonnes in June.           

"We generally agree with Dorab Mistry's short-term view ... However, we do not think Malaysia palm oil inventory will reach 2 million tonnes as we believe it should reach the lowest level of 2.27 million tonnes by April 2013," Alan Lim Seong Chun, research analyst with Malaysia's Kenanga Investment Bank, said in a note to clients.

Palm oil stocks in Malaysia, the world's second-largest palm producer, stood at 2.44 million tonnes in end-February and traders are counting on seasonally slower production and healthy demand to bring stocks down.  

In other markets, Brent rose above $108 on Monday, as hopes brightened for a revival in demand after euro zone ministers approved an EU-IMF plan for restructuring Cyprus's banking sector, averting a worsening crisis for the region.

In other vegetable oil markets, U.S. soyoil for May delivery edged down 0.3 percent in late Asian trade. The most-active September soybean oil contract on the Dalian Commodities Exchange fell 0.2 percent.

  Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1004 GMT

  Contract        Month    Last   Change     Low    High  Volume
  MY PALM OIL      APR3    2428   -32.00    2425    2456     418
  MY PALM OIL      MAY3    2457   -28.00    2453    2496    5188
  MY PALM OIL      JUN3    2460   -33.00    2459    2505   19049
  CHINA PALM OLEIN SEP3    6416   +10.00    6402    6478  436712
  CHINA SOYOIL     SEP3    8100   -12.00    8084    8144  444946
  CBOT SOY OIL     MAY3   50.27    -0.16   50.21   50.51    3720
  NYMEX CRUDE      MAY3   94.15    +0.44   93.70   94.25   14817

  Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne
  CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound
  Dalian soy oil and RBD palm olein in Chinese yuan per tonne
  Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel
  ($1=3.099 ringgit)