Berita Arkib

26 February 2002 (Business Times) - MALAYSIA wants China to stop using “protective trade mechanisms” with regard to the import of crude palm oil(CPO) and honour its World Trade Organisation (WTO) obligations.Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said even thoughChina is to import 2.4 million tonnes of CPO in 2002 under a WTO ruling,it may not commit itself to buying such an amount.“Malaysia is urging China to stick to its WTO obligations and allow a freeflow of CPO in the spirit of free trade,” he told reporters in Bangiyesterday.“China can announce the quota but it may not necessarily stick to it, “said Dr Lim who earlier opened a seminar on carbon finance for the palmoil sector.China, Malaysia’s third biggest CPO buyer last year with 1.292 milliontonnes, had in previous years allocated its CPO import quotas to itsstate-owned importers twice a year.China usually announces the first tranche in March followed by the secondtranche in July.Last year, India was Malaysia's biggest palm oil buyer, taking in 2.031million tonnes, followed by the European Union, which bought 1.601 milliontonnes.In 2000, China’s CPO import quota was set at 1.5 million tonnes, of whichit bought 800,135 tonnes. Last year, the republic set a quota of 1.4million tonnes.

25 February 2002 (Business Times) - CONSTRUCTION-BASED IJM Corp Bhd iseyeing a bigger portion of the proposed RM12 billion double-trackingproject linking Padang Besar in Perlis to Johor Baru, Johor.Sources said IJM is currently in talks with the main contractor of theproject, India-based Ircon International Ltd to secure part of the civilworks of the project said to be worth at about RM100 million.“IJM does not discount the possibility of securing more civil works alongthe entire stretch in the future,” the source told Business Times in KualaLumpur yesterday.“Even though, IJM is not the main local partner of the project, it doesnot mean that IJM cannot go out there to secure additional deals,” saidthe source.Malaysia had in May last year endorsed the participation of both India andChina in the double-tracking project which comes under the RM12 billioncounter-trade programme to promote demand for palm oil.The counter-trade will see the delivery of around 8 million tonnes of palmoil over a period of between five and six years to each country.The proposed project is divided into the northern portion linking Ipoh toPadang Besar over a distance of 338.8km valued at RM6 billion.The southern portion links Seremban to Johor Baru over a distance of 297kmalso valued at RM6 billion.Under the proposal, Ircon will undertake double tracking andelectrification of the northern portion while China Railway EngineeringCorp will undertake the southern portion.DRB HICOM Bhd, Emrail Sdn Bhd and Kien Huat Group have been identified aslocal partners to carry out various civil works at the southern gridvalued at RM4.2 billion.Mitsui Consortium was given a contract to implement the power generation,electrification and signalling systems for both portions of the tracks.The project is also part of the Peninsula’s rail network which will formpart of the Trans-Asia railway that links Singapore with Kunming in China.Double-tracking refers to the construction of a new railway track parallelto the existing railway line enabling two trains in opposite directions totravel at a time.The current single railway track hampers the journey of a south-boundtrain which has to wait for a north-bound train to pass before being ableto continue its journey.Ircon and the Government has signed a memorandum of understanding in Maylast year during Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s state visitto Malaysia.State-owned construction and engineering firm Ircon was supposed to sign aformal agreement with the Government by end of last year, paving the wayfor construction works to begin this year.But to date, no word has been heard on when construction which is expectedto start although Ircon has carried out preliminary works.Industry observers have said that the delay was caused by the complexpaying mechanism in the purchasing of palm oil due to the fluctuatingnature of the commodity’s prices in the market.Ircon’s managing director B.S. Kapur could not be contacted last Friday ashe was away at a project site in southern India.IJM’s involvement in double-tracking civil works is not new.The company has in the past carried out numerous civil works which includeKuala Lumpur’s Light Rail Transit system.Other’s include civil works for KTM Bhd mainly in Selangor and thedouble-tracking project at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor.Currently, IJM is also a party of the on-going RM2.5 billion electrifieddouble tracking project linking Rawang in Selangor and Ipoh, Perak whichis expected to be completed by July next year.The electrified project is also headed by DRB HICOM Bhd, with foursub-contractors which are IJM (building), Perspec Prime (mainline), EmrailSdn Bhd (yard and track) and UE Construction (bridge).IJM has businesses in construction, plantations, manufacturing andquarrying and international ventures.IJM is now a construction supermarket specialising in infrastructure andbuilding works ranging from piling and foundation, highways, roads andbridges, power, oil and gas.Other works include water supply, marine works, hospitals and medicalcentres, condominiums, hotels, resorts and clubs, residential, commercialand industrial complexes to preservation and refurbishment works.These works are complemented by industrial building systems, steelfabrication and the production and supply of building materials and rockproducts.Meanwhile, at the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, IJM shares closed 8 senlower last Friday at RM4.32 with 1.283 million shares traded.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- Primary Industries Minister Datuk SeriDr Lim Keng Yaik said Malaysia hopes that China, which has just joined theWorld Trade Organisation (WTO), will adhere to the true spirit of tradeliberalisation.

27 February 2002 (Business Times) - MALAYSIA and Russia are expected tosign a US$50 million (US$1 = RM3.80) Palm Oil Credit Payment Arrangement,Pocpa, on March 10.Government officials said under the agreement, about 200,000 tonnes ofpalm oil will be delivered to Russia over two years on a credit basis.Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to sign thePocpa agreement with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin.The two countries were supposed to have formalised the pact last Septemberbut the Prime Minister’s trip was cancelled following the terroristattacks on the US on September 11. Dr Mahathir was to have visited Russiafrom September 12 to 15 and Germany from September 18 to 20 last year.During his three-day official visit to Russia next month, Dr Mahathir willbe accompanied by Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaikand officials from the Malay-sian Palm Oil Board and the Malaysian PalmOil Promotion Council. Dr Mahathir is also expected to be accompanied byseveral Cabinet ministers and a trade delegation from the private sector.The Prime Minister will discuss several bilateral issues with Putin.Under Pocpa, which was introduced by the Government in 1992, credit isoffered to long-term buyers of Malaysia’s palm oil. The countries, inparticular those which face a shortage of foreign exchange, are normallygranted a two-year credit line to buy the commodity from Malaysia.The bilateral payments arrangement scheme promotes counter trade involvingthe exchange of palm oil for a host of products, while expanding theglobal market for the Malay-sian commodity.Products include the exchange of palm oil for machinery, rice, groundnutoil, sesame seed, beef and others.Pocpa also encourages research and development on palm oil betweensignatory countries.Of the US$500 million allocated for the scheme, Malaysia as of March 21last year hasextended US$227.4 million in credit to nine countries.The recipients are Algeria, Sudan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Myanmar,Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cuba and North Korea.New deals in the works include those with Egypt, Bangladesh, Ukraine,Djibouti, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and other countries in Africa andSouth America.Malaysia was exporting between 350,000 tonnes and 400,000 tonnes of palmoil a year to the former Soviet Union before its collapse, of which 80 percent was consumed by Russia. Since 1993, Russia has been buying between40,000 tonnes and 60,000 tonnes a year.According to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Russia bought 47,802 tonnes ofthe commodity valued at RM62 million in 1999 and 64,229 tonnes valued atRM67.5 million in 2000.

19 February, 2002 (Business Times) - CHINA will officially announce itscrude palm oil (CPO) import quota totalling 2.4 million tonnes for 2002 onThursday.Malaysian Palm Oil Association chief executive M.R. Chandran said China’sState Development and Planning Commission (SDPC) will on that day issuethe certificates of eligibility to the republic’s CPO importers.“Under the system, importers will have until February 25 to apply and fillin the certificates.“The importers will only know whether they are eligible to import theirdesired CPO amount by March 5,” Chandran told Business Times in KualaLumpur yesterday.Chandran said SDPC will first process the applications and the amount ofCPO each importer wishes to import before giving the stamp of approval onMarch 5.“SDPN has the authority to determine and make changes to the finalallocation of CPO that each importer can be allowed to import,” saidChandran.He added this time around, 66 per cent or about 10 companies from theprivate sector will be allowed to import while the rest will be made up ofstate-owned agencies.Previously, only state-owned agencies were allowed to import CPO.The announcement of the long-awaited quota is long overdue. Traders havewidely speculated that the quota will be announced in the first week ofJanuary and the latest by the Lunar New Year last Tuesday.Traders have estimated that out of the 2.4 million tonnes quota, Malaysia’s CPO exports may well account for up to 70 per cent or 1.68 milliontonnes.The quota is open to all CPO producers in the world which include Malaysia’s biggest competitor, Indonesia.Malaysia accounts for up to 50 per cent of the world’s CPO productionwhile Indonesia constitutes about 30 per cent.China, Malaysia’s third biggest CPO buyer last year at 1.02 milliontonnes, previously announced its CPO quota twice a year.In 2000, the quota was 1.5 million tonnes, of which it bought 800,135tonnes.Last year, the republic imposed a quota of 1.4 million tonnes of which itbought 1.02 million tonnes.It usually announces the first tranche of 700,000 tonnes in March followedby the second tranche of 700,000 in July.But the quota has been raised to 2.4 million tonnes since its full-fledgedformal entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) last December 12.Industry observers had also said that China’s entry into the WTO willboost Malaysia’s palm oil exports to the republic by 64 per cent byyear-end to 1.68 million tonnes from last year’s 1.02 million tonnes.Under a WTO ruling, China is required to open up its market and graduallyremove trade barriers and tariffs on various goods which include palm oilby 2005.Chandran said SDPN also announced CPO quota for 2003, 2004 and 2005 whichstand at 2.6 million tonnes, 2.7 million tonnes and 2.88 million tonnes,respectively.SDPN has also announced the quota for soyabean which stands at 2.518million tonnes for 2002, 2.5 million tonnes (2003), 2.85 million tonnes(2004) and 3.26 million tonnes (2005).Rapeseed quota for 2002 stands at 770,000 tonnes, 880,000 tonnes (2003),996,000 tonnes (2004) and 1.13 million tonnes (2005).Chandran said soyabean quota for 2002 was supposed to be at 2.2 milliontonnes but has been raised to 2.5 million tonnes, probably due to cheaperArgentine soyabean at the moment.“As a result of the devalued Argentine peso at the moment, China hasprobably decided to cash in on the cheaper soyabean now rather thanlater,” he said.He added that the Chinese Government will also stick to its present CPOduty of 9 per cent for every tonne imported like before.Malaysia is the world’s largest CPO producer, exporting 9,081,495 tonnesworth RM12.47 billion in 2000 compared with an all-time high of RM21.3billion in 1998.Meanwhile, third-month May CPO futures contract on the MalaysianDerivatives Exchange closed RM35 higher at RM1,162 a tonne after breakingthe key resistance of RM1,150 a tonne. Volume was 2,717 lots.

20 February, 2002 (Business Times) - THE crude palm oil (CPO) market looksset to sizzle this year as output suffers under the extremes in weatherconditions attributed to the El Nino phenomenon.The last time El Nino made its presence felt in the country was inearly-1998, when dry spells saw CPO production plunge and prices surgepast RM2,000 a tonne.If the hot spell and the bush fires of the last few days are bad, waittill the second half of the year, the experts are now warning. Already,the country had been experiencing a rainless period of six consecutiveweeks.And traders are expecting El Nino to again cause widespread droughtconditions in Malaysia, which may sufficiently affect production to causea rally in prices of the commodity to heights not seen in four years.“It will be a boon for the CPO market... low moisture content in theatmosphere during the period will see lower yields and production,” atrader told Business Times.The El Nino effect refers to a sustained warming of a large part of thecentral and eastern Pacific Ocean, first noted in the seas off Peru inSouth America. It seems to recur every four to seven years and typicallylasts 12 to 18 months.In the previous occasion, drastic changes in weather patterns across muchof the Pacific Basin, including Malaysia, were experienced.Malaysian Palm Oil Association chief executive M.R. Chandran said shouldthe El Nino indeed set in, fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) yield, depending onarea, could be reduced by as much as 20 per cent.“During a dry spell, moisture content in the air and in FFB will be lowerthan normal causing the palm flowers to have a higher than normal abortionrate.“Instead of producing fully mature FFBs in the normal five to six months,it could take seven to eight months,” he said.“As such, a grower who normally produces 20 tonnes of FFB per ha mayexpect 18 tonnes at best.”In 1998, CPO production totalled 8.3 million tonnes and prices averagedRM2,378 a tonne.Atmospheric precipitation returned to normal levels in the following year,and output of the commodity surged to 10.55 million tonnes, 10.80 milliontonnes and 11.803 million tonnes in 1999, 2000 and 2001, respectively.And plantation companies would not be too unhappy should El Nino comesa-calling in the months ahead, traders said, noting that although theywould be selling lesser amounts of CPO, their fall in revenue would bemore than offset by an increase in prices from the current RM1,100-RM1,200a tonne level.Chandran however pointed out that the supply crunch would not be immediateand the sector has also to take into consideration the possible differencein impact of changes in weather patterns on the other 16 edible oils.“If output of other oils, in particular soyabean oil, goes upsignificantly, CPO prices may not benefit too much from a decline in itsown supply.“In any case, El Nino is usually heralded by a high occurence of forestfires in the region, especially in Indonesia. We have yet to hear any suchreports,” he said.Affin-UOB meanwhile said in a research note that CPO output can beexpected to fall in the near term not only because of the drier days, butalso due to factors like tree stress from the last few years of strongyields as well as last year’s replanting activities and reduction infertiliser use.The research house said expects CPO prices to average RM1,250 a tonne thisyear, compared to RM2,482 a tonne in August 1998.Malaysian Meteorological Services Department director general Chow Kok Keesaid it is still too early to say that the current dry spell marks thebeginning of the El Nino effect.“The department and scientists all over the world are monitoring thesituation and so far signs, like a marked increase in ocean temperature,are still absent.“The current dry spell is a normal yearly occurence because Malaysia isapproaching the end of the north-east monsoon season which is dry,” saidChow.He added El Nino is a large-scale phenomenon that affects the whole of thePacific Basin and does not happen overnight.“It will take many months before we can actually be sure if the effects ofthe El Nino are indeed setting in,” he added.Meanwhile, third-month May CPO futures on the Malaysia DerivativesExchange closed RM2 a tonne lower at RM1,160. Volume was heavy at 1,939lots.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- ePOMEX Palm Oil (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, asubsidiary of HeiTech Padu Bhd, Tuesday announced that the Malaysianelectronic exchange for physical delivery of oil palm products which begantrading in late 2001, has now installed 16 Seat Holders.

COLOMBO, Feb 16 - Sri Lanka is replacing some of its traditional rubberplantations with oil palm in a controversial move that first drewcriticism from the rubber industry and is now drawing the ire ofenvironmentalists.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- Crude palm oil (CPO) production forJanuary stood at 934,812 tonnes, down by 1.46 percent compared with948,704 tonnes in December last year, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board said ina statement Thursday.

Saturday, February 16, 2002 (The Star) - EXPORTS of local palm kernelexpeller cake (PKC) will likely witness renewed demand this year fromtraditional markets such as Europe, South Korea and Japan as well as newones such as China and India, according to major PKC exporter and shipperPalm Base Sdn Bhd.Palm Base managing director Daniel Cheow said PKC – an oil palm fruitby-product – held strong export prospects based on its performance lastyear, when Malaysia successfully exported almost its entire PKC productionof about 1.8 million tonnes.PKC, which is a main ingredient for nutritional animal feed production,particularly in cattle and hog feed, is currently traded at US$70 pertonne (CIF basis) compared with US$40 per tonne in the first quarter oflast year – the lowest historical level to-date. At its peak in mid-1996,the PKC price reached a high of US$200 per tonne.Malaysia is the world’s largest producer of PKC, followed closely byIndonesia.Palm Base is believed to be the only Asian PKC exporter and shipper, andcurrently competes with two other European companies to export PKC underCIF (cost, insurance and freight) basis.The company exports some 300,000 tonnes of PKC annually on a CIF basis,and these are shipped directly to major international ports such asAmsterdam and Rotterdam as well as smaller ports such as Sanpander andBilbao in Spain.At the same time, there are about 20 major local PKC manufacturers whichsell their products under FOB (free on board) to both local andinternational traders and exporters.Cheow expressed confidence that PKC, which is being traded at a US$20 toUS$25 discount to its substitutes such as corn gluton, sugar bit pulp andcitrus pulp from the US and South America, could in the near future fetchbetter prices.“I believe this can be achieved if more efforts were put in by local PKCmanufacturers to improve the quality of their products,’’ he said.There had been cases of adulteration in PKC, such as manufacturers addingpalm fruit shells and increasing moisture content to increase its weight,he claimed.He also stressed the importance of diversifying the export markets for PKCto enhance its pricing. Currently, more than 90% of Malaysia’s PKC exportsgo to Europe.Cheow said there had been too much emphasis on exports to Europe and therecent mad cow and foot and mouth diseases could dampen purchase of PKCthere. He added that China and India could be good alternatives.Meanwhile, Malaysian Palm Oil Promotion Council, which has been focusingon the export and promotion of palm oil, is believed to have recentlystarted promoting PKC.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- About 50,000 Nepalese workers areengaged in four sectors in Malaysia since the Malaysian government gaveits nod for their intake in January last year.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Argentina's 2001/02 soybeancrop is developing well in the main soy-producing regions of the country,but the lack of farm chemicals after last month's public debt default hasleft crops exposed to weeds and pests, the Argentine AgricultureDepartment said Tuesday.Soy plantings were virtually complete with 99.7 percent of the areaforecast to be planted with the oilseed has been sown by Feb 8. "InPergamino (in northwestern Buenos Aires province) where 700,000 hectaresof soy have been planted, the general state of the crop is excellent. Manyinsects are appearing but the biggest problem is the lack of products totreat the crop," the government said in its weekly harvest report.Most fertilizers, pesticides and other farm chemicals are imported intoArgentina, so January's default and subsequent bank restrictions onpayments abroad held up delivery of those goods to the domestic market.The same problem occurred in Cordoba, the main soy producing provincein the current season which accounts for 3.36 million hectares of thetotal national soybean area of 11.3 million hectares. "There are few farmchemicals available and large distributors aren'tselling," the Agriculture Department said.While there are no official soybean production estimates for the 2001/2002crop, local analysts forecast output to reach 30 million tonnes. The U.SDepartment of Agriculture forecast Argentina's soybean production at 28.75million tonnes. Corn plantings were 99.8 percent complete and the crop wasin good condition. Cordoba lead plantings with 754,500 hectares sown.Buenos Aires province was next at 650,500 hectares -- far from the priorcrop year when1.03 million hectares were sown. The smaller planted area in Buenos Aireswas the result of heavy rains late in 2001.USDA forecast Argentina's corn output at 11.5 million tonnes The sunflowerharvest was 14 percent complete out of 2.02 million hectares sown,compared to 1.97 million hectares in the prior crop year. In Buenos Airesprovince, which boasts about 1.06 million hectares, the crop saw lightshowers throughout a windy week. Cotton plantings were 99 percent completeas of the end of the reporting period.Argentina's 2001/02 wheat harvest finished Jan 25 and is widely expectedto yield a 15.7 million tonne crop. Harvesting began on early crops sownin the north, an area that accounts for a small proportion of nationalproduction.