11/04/2014 (Bernama) - Palm oil stocks increased 1.86 per cent to 1.69 million tonnes in March 2014 from 1.66 million tonnes in February, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB)said.

In a statement here Thursday, the MPOB also said crude palm oil (CPO) stocks declined 6.17 per cent to 866,008 tonnes last month, while processed palm oil increased 11.96 per cent to 821,701 tonnes.

Palm kernel stocks were 18.85 per cent higher at 130,532 tonnes in March and crude palm kernel oil stocks improved 9.57 per cent to 137,203 tonnes, it said.

CPO production in March rose 17.35 per cent to 1.5 million tonnes from 1.3 million tonnes in February.

Palm kernel production in March was up by 20.04 per cent to 386,648 tonnes from 322,104 tonnes in February, while crude palm kernel oil output went up 4.14 per cent to 170,828 tonnes from 164,034 tonnes.

Production of palm kernel cake increased 4.48 per cent to 188,887 tonnes in March from 180,782 tonnes in February.

The MPOB said palm oil exports in March slipped 7.98 per cent to 1.24 million tonnes from 1.35 million tonnes in February.

It said CPO imports rose 24.18 per cent last month to 9,708 tonnes, while the import of processed palm oil surged 1130.57 per cent last month to 5,433 tonnes.

The average price of fresh fruit bunches per tonne increased 10.56 per cent to RM31.62 per tonne in March from RM28.60 in February.