Berita Arkib

17/2/05 India - IN RAISING THE Customs duty on the palm group of oils by15 percentage points and reducing their tariff values to reflectinternational market conditions, the Government has in one masterstroketried to balance the interests of oilseed growers and consumers. Whetherthe Finance Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, could have waited to make thechanges a part of the around-the-corner Budget may be debatable; but therationale of his action cannot be faulted. Indeed, it is positive for allstakeholders, including growers, consumers and processing industry. Whilethe changes are revenue positive, they are nearly neutral as far asconsumer prices are concerned. The psychological effect of the duty hikeis sure to support rapeseed/mustard prices that have been ruling wellbelow the minimum support price of Rs 1,700 a quintal. The processingindustry can have nothing to complain about because it will recover theadditional duty burden from consumers. So far so good.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- Three important areas would have to besorted out before the listing of Felda Holding Sdn Bhd can take place onBursa Malaysia, said Group Chairman of Kumpulan Felda, Tan Sri Dr MohdYusof Noor, Wednesday.

16//2005 Business Times (Malaysia) - GOLDEN Hope Plantations Bhd will seekapproval from minority shareholders of Negara Properties (M) Bhd to mergethe latter with Island & Peninsular Bhd (I&P). Negara Properties is 62.6per cent-owned by Golden Hope. Golden Hope group chief executive DatukSabri Ahmad said interest of the minority is best served by merging theproperty businesses of Negara Properties with I&P's.

JAKARTA, Feb 17 Asia Pulse - Indonesia's exports of crude palm oil (CPO)to India are expected to fall short of expectations after the latterraised import duties on the commodity to 80 per cent, up from 65 per centearlier.

NEW DELHI, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- With the hike in duty and raising of thetariff value (value on which duty is charge) the effective incidence ofduty on crude pal m oil has gone up by US$24.90 (US$1=RM3.8) a tonne andon crude palmolein by US$17.25 a tonne.

Thursday February 17, 2005 - FOR more than 20 years, Ivan Wong was theseer of Malaysia's palm oil industry, forecasting crop yields afterwalking through snake-infested plantations to count fruit bunches and tostudy soil conditions.

2/17/2005 Bangkok Post - Nestle (Thai) Co has introduced a coconutmilk-like cream which it hopes to substitute for a traditional basicingredient in Thai cooking.

Thursday February 17, 2005 - SPOOKED by India's decision on Tuesday toraise import tax on crude palm oil (CPO), refined, bleached and deodorise(rbd) palm oil and palm olein, and the continued rise in palm oil stocks,research houses have turned bearish on the plantation sector.

2/15/2005 MANILA - The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) isprojecting an upswing in demand this year for coconut and its by-productsboth in the local and export market.

2/15/2005 - A major intergovernmental meeting on food safety and qualityin the fats and oils food sector is being organised in London by the FoodsStandards Agency.

Mumbai , Feb. 15 - THE effect on consumer prices in view of thesimultaneous action of hike in duty together with reduction in tariffvalues on palm group of oils is unlikely to be harsh. Open market pricescould improve by a modest Rs 600 a tonne.

KLANG, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- Plantations company, Golden Hope PlantationsBhd is planning on increasing its hectarage of oil palm plantations inKalimantan, Indonesia to 50,000 hectares in the near future, its groupchief executive Datuk Sabri Ahmad said.